The Predators trail the Winnipeg Jets, who host the Boston Bruins, by one point and hold a four-point lead over the third-place St. Louis Blues. The Kings trail the Arizona Coyotes by 17 points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
Players to watch
Predators center Ryan Johansen has 20 points (three goals, 14 assists) in his past 25 games and is two from 400 in the NHL. Kings center Jeff Carter is one point from 700 in the NHL.
They said it
"We know we have the right players to be successful. And now we just got to figure out a way to play well consistently and not just one game. I think the last 10, 11 games here are really important for us. We got to make sure every time we step on the ice we're playing our best game." -- Predators defenseman Roman Josi "I think we want to make sure we come with lots of energy and passion. We want to play with good structure and we want to build. We want to get better here as we go." -- Kings coach Willie Desjardins on the approach for the final 13 games
The Predators did not hold a morning skate Thursday. … Salomaki practiced Wednesday. … Wagner is expected to return after missing four games with a lower-body injury. … Martinez is likely to play after missing practice Wednesday because of an illness.
Stat pack
The Predators are 5-0-3 in their past eight road games against the Kings. … Grundstrom is the second Kings player (Boyle) to score a goal in each of his first two NHL games.
