GAME DAY: Kings vs. Preds, October 25

The Nashville Predators will look to start a win streak this evening as they host the Los Angeles Kings on Hispanic Music Heritage Night at Bridgestone Arena for a 7 p.m. CT puck drop. Tonight’s meeting is the first of three between the Preds and Kings this season; Nashville will visit L.A. twice in less than a week during the team’s final road trip of the season in April.

After beginning their season-long five-game homestand with a loss to Anaheim on Tuesday, the Preds bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Vancouver on Thursday. Now, the Predators begin a back-to-back weekend set against the Kings and Dallas Stars, and they’ll be looking to build off of what was a much needed win two nights earlier.

“Much better,” Preds center Ryan O’Reilly said of his group’s effort on Thursday night. “We wanted to defend better. That was a big thing. Last game, we were caught cheating a lot, and I thought we were a lot better tonight. Just being on the right side, being tougher to play against… We stuck with it, and that's a gutsy win… It was a good response by us, and we’ve got something to build off of.”

Prior to Thursday’s game, the Preds recalled forward Matthew Wood from Milwaukee (AHL). The rookie then made his season debut against the Canucks and was tied for the team lead with four shots on goal in 14:28 of ice time.

Preds forward Jonathan Marchessault has continued to practice, but he did not play Thursday and remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The Predators did not practice on Friday but are expected to hold a morning skate today.

The Good Guys:

O’Reilly tallied shorthanded on Thursday against the Canucks, and Cole Smith scored what proved to be the game-winner in the third period. Goaltender Juuse Saros made 21 saves in net to collect his third victory of the season.

O’Reilly now leads the team in goals (3) and points (5), while Captain Roman Josi (1g-4a) also has five points to his name. Marchessault, Erik Haula and Filip Forsberg all have two goals and two assists apiece. Smith, Michael Bunting and Nick Perbix have also found the back of the net on two occasions. Saros is now 3-2-2 in net on the season; Justus Annunen took a loss in his only appearance.

The Opposition:

The Kings have gone to overtime in each of their last three outings, including a 3-2 victory over the Stars in Dallas on Thursday night. Los Angeles has won two straight after dropping four in a row, and Adrian Kempe paces the club with four goals and 11 points. Quinton Byfield (2g-6a) has eight points, while former Preds forward Kevin Fiala has four goals and seven points through eight games. Kings Captain Anze Kopitar is expected to make his final career appearance in Nashville tonight before he retires at the end of the season. Darcy Kuemper is 2-2-1 on the season; Anton Forsberg is 1-1-1 in net.

All-Time Meetings:

The Preds are 44-30-(3)-10 all-time against the Kings, including a 19-17-(3)-3 mark at home. Nashville is 5-3-2 in their last 10 meetings versus Los Angeles and 2-2-1 in their last five at Bridgestone Arena.

Overall, the Predators have lost only five times in regulation to the Kings in their last 30 meetings (19-5-6). Since losing the regular-season series in 2016-17 to the Kings, the Predators have won six of the eight series.

Notables Versus Los Angeles:

Roman Josi has recorded 28 points (5g-23a) vs. Los Angeles in his career, the fourth-most among active blueliners against the Kings. In his last 10 games against Los Angeles, he has nine points (9a), including a three-assist outing in a 5-3 victory on Jan. 21, 2023.

Jonathan Marchessault has posted 27 points (10g-17a) in 37 career games against the Kings; it’s tied for the second-most points he has collected against any single team. He recorded a seven-game point streak against the Kings (4g-5a) from Dec. 28, 2021-Nov. 8, 2023.

Filip Forsberg has tallied 11 points (4g-7a) in his last 18 contests against Los Angeles, and 15 points (5g-10a) in 29 career games vs. the Kings. 


Nashville Predators TV Analyst Chris Mason made 33 saves in his first NHL shutout as Nashville and Los Angeles played to the first scoreless tie at Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 13, 2004.

Predators Defense Development Coach Rob Scuderi won the 2012 Stanley Cup as a member of the Kings. 


Kings forward Kevin Fiala recorded 97 points (45g-52a) in 204 games with the Predators from 2015-19.

Milestone Watch:

Brady Skjei is one game from 700 in his NHL career.

Michael Bunting is three goals from 100 in his NHL career.

Ryan O’Reilly is three power play goals from 100 in his career.

Steven Stamkos (228) is four power play goals from passing Dino Ciccarelli (232) for the 10th-most in NHL history.

Hispanic Music Heritage Night:

Tonight in Smashville, we’ll celebrate Hispanic Music Heritage Night, presented by Ponce Law. The Pregame Plaza Party begins at 5 p.m. CT at Bridgestone Arena featuring local latina-owned vendors from the ELLA Program, a music showcase, youth folklorico dancers from Hispanic Family Foundation and food trucks provided by Conexión Américas. On the Arena concourse, Voces de Nashville Lotería game will be ready for fans, and Ana Christina Cash will perform the National Anthem. Rachel Rodriguez is the featured musician of the night, and Andrea Vasquez will perform on the Ford Band Stage.

Watch & Listen:

Coverage for Saturday Night in Smashville begins at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Predators LIVE! pregame show on FanDuel Sports Network South, hosted by Lyndsay Rowley and Hal Gill. Play-by-play announcer Willy Daunic, analyst Chris Mason and rinkside reporter Kara Hammer will have the call on the television side.

Voice of the Predators Pete Weber and Jay More will call the game on 102.5 The Game and the Predators Radio Network, with pregame, postgame and intermission coverage by Max Herz beginning one hour before puck drop. The game will also be broadcast in Spanish on El Jefe which airs on 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM and 810 AM. (El partido también se transmite en español por El Jefe en 96.7 FM, 105.3 FM y 810 AM.)