Every time the Predators turn around, they face the biggest game of their season.
That was the case for Nashville in its last two games, and it will be the situation once again Monday night when the Predators (36-31-9) visit the Los Angeles Kings (31-26-19).
kAm%96 EH@ E62>D 6249 6?E6C E96 4@?E6DE H:E9 g` A@:?ED[ E9@F89 E96 !C652E@CD 9@=5 E96 E:63C62<6C — 2?5 E96 (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46’D D64@?5 H:=542C5 A=2J@77 DA@E—3642FD6 E96J 92G6 >@C6 C68F=2E:@? H:?D E92? E96 z:?8D]k^Am
kAm%96 !C65D 2?5 z:?8D 6249 92G6 D:I C68F=2C D62D@? 82>6D =67E[ H:E9 }2D9G:==6 D66<:?8 E@ C6EFC? E@ E96 A@DED62D@? 27E6C >:DD:?8 @FE :? a_ac\ad] %96 !C652E@CD 92G6?’E >:DD65 E96 A=2J@77D :? 324<\E@\324< D62D@?D D:?46 a_`a\`b 2?5 a_`b\`c]k^Am
kAmx7 :E D@F?5D =:<6 |@?52J’D 82>6 H:== 762EFC6 2 AC6DDFC6\7:==65 6?G:C@?>6?E[ E96 !C652E@CD D9@F=5 36 FD65 E@ :E 3J ?@H]k^Am
kAmyFDE =2DE %9FCD52J[ }2D9G:==6 3682? :ED 82>6 282:?DE E96 z:?8D H:E9 ff A@:?ED[ @?6 A@:?E 369:?5 {@D p?86=6D[ H9:49 96=5 E96 4@?76C6?46’D 7:?2= A=2J@77 A@D:E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 !C65D 3=6H =625D @7 b\_ 2?5 c\` :? E92E 4@?E6DE[ 3FE DE:== >2?2865 E@ C64@G6C :? E:>6 E@ D64FC6 2 d\c D9@@E@FE G:4E@CJ H96? {F<6 tG2?86=:DE2 ?@E4965 E96 D9@@E@FE’D @?=J 8@2= :? E96 6:89E9 C@F?5]k^Am
kAm%92E H:? 2==@H65 E96 !C65D E@ =62A7C@8 E96 z:?8D :? E96 DE2?5:?8D[ 5F6 E@ 2 E:63C62<6C]k^Am
kAm%H@ ?:89E =2E6C[ 9@H6G6C[ :E H2D E96 2==\:>A@CE2?E 82>6 @7 E96 D62D@? @?46 282:? H96? }2D9G:==6 G:D:E65 $2? y@D6] %96 $92C<D[ !C652E@CD 2?5 z:?8D 6249 925 fh A@:?ED 2E E96 E:>6[ H:E9 $2? y@D6 9@=5:?8 E96 E:63C62<6C 6586 3642FD6 @7 @?6 76H6C 82>6 A=2J65]k^Am
kAm%96 !C65D FD65 E96 D2>6 7@C>F=2 E@ C64@C5 2?@E96C 4CF4:2= H:?[ 3=@H:?8 2 b\_ =625 367@C6 C63@F?5:?8 7@C 2 e\b G:4E@CJ E92E — @?46 282:? — 2==@H65 }2D9G:==6 E@ >@G6 :?E@ E96 7:?2= H:=542C5 DA@E]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< ;FDE E96 C6D:=:6?4J E92E H6VG6 D9@H? — @3G:@FD=J H6 AC676C ?@E E@ 8:G6 FA 2 E9C66\8@2= =625 2?5 92G6 E@ 7:89E 324< E@ H:?] qFE H96? H6 92G6 E@[ H6’G6 366? 23=6 E@ 5@ E92E 2 76H E:>6D[” !C65D 7@CH2C5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?9=]4@>^?6HD^?2D9G:==6\AC652E@CD\D2?\;@D6\D92C<D\82>6\C642A\2AC:=\c\a_aeQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mu:=:A u@CD36C8 E@=5 C6A@CE6CDk^DEC@?8mk^2m] “xE D9@HD 2 =@E @7 DEC6?8E9 :? E96 8C@FA]”k^Am
kAmu@CD36C8 925 7@FC A@:?ED WE9C66 8@2=D 2?5 2? 2DD:DEX :? }2D9G:==6’D =2DE EH@ H:?D[ H9:=6 7@CH2C5 #J2? ~’#6:==J W@?6 8@2=[ EH@ 2DD:DEDX[ 7@CH2C5 y@?2E92? |2C496DD2F=E W@?6 8@2=[ EH@ 2DD:DEDX 2?5 7@CH2C5 %JD@? y@DE W@?6 8@2=[ EH@ 2DD:DEDX 6249 C68:DE6C65 E9C66 A@:?ED] $E6G6? $E2><@D 25565 2 A2:C @7 8@2=D]k^Am
kAmv@2=:6 yFFD6 $2C@D DFCC6?56C65 D@>6 D@7E 8@2=D H9:=6 EFC?:?8 2H2J db\@7\e_ D9@ED W]ggb D2G6 A6C46?E286X :? E96 EH@ G:E2= G:4E@C:6D] qFE 96 D9:?65 :? E96 D9@@E@FE 282:?DE {]p][ D=2>>:?8 E96 5@@C 6:89E DEC2:89E E:>6D @? z:?8D D9@@E6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 !C652E@CD H:== 36 =@@<:?8 7@C E96:C D64@?5 H:? :? 7:G6 52JD 282:?DE E96 z:?8D @? |@?52J[ 2 G:4E@CJ E92E H@F=5 2==@H }2D9G:==6 E@ C6>2:? :? E96 D64@?5 H:=542C5 A@D:E:@?]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 !C65D Wg` A@:?EDX 36EE6C ?@E =@@< :? E96 C62CG:6H >:CC@C[ 2D {@D p?86=6D Wg` A@:?EDX[ $2? y@D6 Wfh A@:?ED[ @?6 76H6C 82>6 A=2J65X[ (:??:A68 Wfg A@:?EDX[ $E] {@F:D Wfe A@:?EDX 2?5 $62EE=6 Wfd A@:?EDX 2C6 6286C E@ A2DD]k^Am
kAm$@F?5D =:<6 |@?52J’D 82>6 :D … E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E @7 E96 D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< H6 <?6H E9:D EC:A H2D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 C62==J :>A@CE2?E @?6[ @3G:@FD=J A=2J:?8 AC6EEJ >F49 6G6CJ E62> @? E9:D EC:A :D D@>63@5J H6VC6 ECJ:?8 E@ 492D6[” u@CD36C8 D2:5] “%2<:?8 42C6 @7 3FD:?6DD D@ 72C[ 3FE 2?@E96C >2DD:G6 >2E49 282:? ,|@?52J.[ 2?5 ;FDE C62==J 2== H6 42? 7@4FD @? :D E92E ?6IE @?6]”k^Am
