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Kings-Predators Preview

Feb 19, 2016 - 9:23 PM The Los Angeles Kings began their season-high road trip with their best scoring performance in eight years. They would likely settle for a mere portion of that output in the finale of their trek, and they're hoping to have leading scorer Anze Kopitar available to lend a hand.

With their offense having fizzled, the Kings take on a Nashville Predators team seeking to continue its recent defensive prowess Saturday night.

Los Angeles (33-20-4) kicked off its seven-game trip with a 9-2 rout of Boston, its most goals since a 9-2 victory against Chicago on Jan. 1, 2008. The Kings totaled 16 goals while going 2-1-0 to start that journey but have totaled just two in a season-worst three consecutive road defeats.

They got a point when Tyler Toffoli scored in the third period Thursday against St. Louis but lost 2-1 in overtime. Los Angeles outshot the Blues 26-14 in the final two periods of regulation after losing Kopitar to a lower-body injury in the first.

"We'll take the point now. We battled hard, going down and losing Kopi early, guys stepped up," forward Jeff Carter said. "At the end of the day, we have to start winning some games. We have lost all of our room now (in the Pacific Division). We have to start scoring goals."

Kopitar, who has 51 points, is considered day to day. The Kings have played their last three games without Marian Gaborik (knee), who could remain sidelined until the playoffs.

Nashville will try to take advantage of his absence while producing another stingy effort. The Predators (27-21-10) have given up three goals in their past three games and posted their second shutout in that stretch Thursday, a 2-0 win over Boston.

Pekka Rinne made 29 saves in his first blanking since Nov. 14 and Nashville's second victory in seven home games. Rinne allowed a combined 16 goals in his previous four starts, and the Predators went to Carter Hutton in each of their prior two games.

"I was just trying to stay positive and work hard. I think that's the only way to go through situations like that, where you go through some tough times and rough games," Rinne said. "We've struggled at home a little bit so that's a big win. That's the way we have to play down the stretch."

Filip Forsberg scored his sixth goal in six contests and assisted on Craig Smith's opening tally. Forsberg had a pair of assists in a 4-3 overtime defeat in Los Angeles on Oct. 31.

Toffoli scored two goals, and Carter ended the Kings' 0-3-2 skid against the Predators. Los Angeles has lost three of its last four visits to Nashville and earned the lone win in a shootout.

Carter has seven goals and two assists in his last seven games against the Predators. He has scored one goal in each of his last three matchups.

Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis has three goals and two assists in the past four games against Los Angeles.

Rinne is 2-0-1 with a 3.57 goals-against average in his last three starts versus the Kings and is 2-0-1 with a 1.26 GAA in his past three home matchups.

Los Angeles hasn't lost four in a row overall since an 0-2-2 skid in January 2015.