Los Angeles Kings will try to run their home to 12 matches when they host Nashville Predators on Saturday.
The kings are 8-0-3 in the last 11 at home after a 3-0 victory against the visiting Washington Capitals on Thursday evening and ends Cap’s five-game winning line.
It matches the third longest home strength in franchise history behind the 13-game runs 2022-23 (11-0-2) and 1992-93 (12-0-1).
With his fourth straight victory, overall Kings remained within a point of Edmonton Oilers for second place in the Pacific Division. This is important because the team in second place is worth third place in the first round of the playoffs.
“We have an eye on trying to get ice home for the playoffs,” said King’s goalkeeper Darcy Kuemper after recording his third suspension of the season on Thursday. “Every team in the race wants it, and we just know how important every point will be down here. We just want to make sure we will play every night and try to get as many winnings as we can.”
Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller agreed with Kuemper that in the first round, the home ice benefit is important, especially against a team like Edmonton, which beat Kings from the playoffs in each of the last three seasons in the first round after quitting in front of them in the position, but he does not believe it should be the main focus.
He would rather focus on playing as they did to the capitals.
“If we could make it consistently enough in the next 18 games, we should give a pretty good chance,” Hiller said. “We just have to come out and be focused and play like a team.”
Kings forward Quinton Byfield has done in five straight matches, and Anze Kopitar enters a four-game point streak (two goals, three assists).
Los Angeles also combined to kill all 13 Power games that it met during the last two games.
“We had some meetings and regrouped and came back to what makes us our best out there,” Kuemper said of the penalty death. “Of course we have had huge death and we feel really sure of it.”
The predators are facing a quick turn after losing 2-1 on Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Nashville struggled back to bind the score during the third period, but failed to take advantage of a 5-for-3 for 1:10 halfway through the third period and then gave up the grinding goal with 8:40 left and ended a winning line.
“It’s a disappointment,” Nashville said forward Ryan O’reilly. “We had some opportunities to bury some goals and we did not. We had any chances to stand up first because we didn’t give up lots tonight. I think we kept them to about 15 shots, which is pretty good, but a couple of mistakes killed us.
“I know myself, I didn’t like my game. I didn’t create enough. I know I can do much better, so it’s kind of frustrating that way because it was there for us. We’re back on it tomorrow. We have to take this with us, make our adjustments and get ready for (Saturday).”
-Field Level Media
