Predators 1 - 5 Kings
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Kings hope to rebound in season-series finale with Preds

Mar 4, 2013 - 3:01 PM (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Kings aim to bounce right back into the win column on Monday evening when they take on the Nashville Predators for the third and final time this regular season.

Looking to rebound from a slow start, the defending champion Kings had won five straight and seven of eight before suffering a 5-2 road loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

Justin Williams and Jordan Nolan each scored once for the Kings, while Jonathan Quick allowed four goals on 23 shots in the setback.

Like the Kings tried not to get too relaxed during a winning streak, Kings coach Darryl Suter doesn't want this loss to come with too much weight.

"You win you move on, you lose you move on," Suter said.

While Jeff Carter had a five-game goal-scoring streak end, Anze Kopitar picked up an assist to give him nine points over a five-game point streak.

Los Angeles activated defenseman Alec Martinez from injured reserve on Saturday, but he did not play after sitting out the previous seven games due to an upper body injury. The Kings blue line remains without Matt Greene (back surgery) and Willie Mitchell (knee surgery).

The Kings hope to extend a four-game home winning streak in the first of five straight in Los Angeles and play host to a Predators club that has struggled to a loss in six of its past eight. That includes Saturday's 2-1 setback at the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks picked up a power-play goal in each of the first two periods and outshot the Predators 16-6 in the opening frame. Gabriel Bourque pulled Nashville within one on a short-handed goal with 5:30 to play, but the rally fell short.

"The two penalties we took were unnecessary and we didn't kill them," Preds head coach Barry Trotz said.

Pekka Rinne made 37 stops in the setback, Nashville's first in regulation since Dec. 26, 2010 when Rinne makes 35-or-more saves.

The Predators have won both meetings with the Kings so far this season, snapping a two-game slide in Los Angeles by winning an eight-round shootout on Jan. 31 before blanking the Kings 3-0 at home on Feb. 7. Colin Wilson scored twice and Rinne made 32 saves.






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