Kings 3 - 4 Predators
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Preds sneak past Kings in lengthy SO

Nov 26, 2014 - 6:55 AM Nashville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - James Neal netted the lone goal in the shootout, as Nashville outlasted Los Angeles, 4-3, at Bridgestone Arena.

None of the first 10 shooters were able to put the puck into the net. Neal opened up the sixth round by beating Martin Jones between the pads, and then Pekka Rinne closed off the lane along the ice to deny Dwight King's chance and end the contest.

Craig Smith, Ryan Ellis and Eric Nystrom tallied in regulation for the Predators, who have won two in a row and seven of their last nine. Rinne ended up with 18 saves.

"It felt like a playoff atmosphere here tonight," Preds forward Colin Wilson said.

Jamie McBain, Marian Gaborik and Drew Doughty scored for the Kings, who have lost both contests in a three-game road trip which ends on Wednesday in Minnesota. Jones made 30 stops in helping the visitors gain a point.

The hosts opened the scoring as Smith was sprung up the right wing on a lead pass from Wilson, and the former made no mistake on a snap shot from between the circles at 6:24.

McBain's tip in of a Justin Williams offering bled through Rinne's pads with 8:28 to play in the first, then the Kings went ahead by one after 61 seconds elapsed in the second period as Gaborik outraced a Preds defender and lifted a shot over Rinne's glove.

Nashville drew even on a drive from the bottom of the right circle from Ellis with 2:24 remaining before the second intermission, then took a 3-2 lead on Nystrom's tip of a Taylor Beck shot 52 seconds later.

Doughty's rush from end to end culminating in a low shot from between the circles and among three Nashville checkers forged a 3-3 deadlock 38 seconds into the third.

Filip Forsberg beat Jones but hit the right post with just over two minutes played in overtime, and a Neal shot trickled just to the left of the near post on the following shift. Despite numerous scoring chances, the hosts couldn't end the game on a power play in the final 1:32 of the extra session.

"(Our) PK was great, it kept us in the game," Doughty said.

Game Notes

By virtue of winning shootouts in back-to-back games, the Predators improved to 3-1 this season in the game's final segment ... The Kings fell to 1-3 ... Entering play, Jones did not allow a goal on 12 opponent chances in the shootout.






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