Predators score twice in third period to edge Kings

Kings right wing Alex Iafallo moves the puck ahead of Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi.

By Jim Diamond

Associated Press

Oct. 19, 2021 Updated 8:43 PM PT

NASHVILLE — Matt Duchene and Tanner Jeannot scored in the third period to give the Nashville Predators a 2-1 victory over the L.A. Kings on Tuesday night.

Predators goalie Juuse Saros made 25 saves for Nashville, while Anze Kopitar had the lone goal and Calvin Petersen made 29 saves for Los Angeles.

Nashville trailed by a goal entering the third period, but with a fresh sheet of ice for a power play, Duchene tied the game at 1:07. Petersen stopped Roman Josi’s shot from the right point, but Duchene dug the puck out of traffic and put it by Petersen for his first of the season.

“We knew special teams, coming into the game, was going to be really important,” Nashville coach John Hynes said. “I think their penalty kill was 100% in the games that they had played and their power play was 50%. So we knew special teams were going to have to make a difference, and they did tonight.”

Jeannot gave Nashville the lead with 5:06 left in the game. Colton Sissons had the puck in the right circle and sent a pass to the slot, where Jeannot had slipped behind the Los Angeles defense and had an easy tap-in for his first goal of the season.

“We started off pretty strong, but still we felt we had another gear to go,” Jeannot said. “I felt like in the third, we brought that and we got those two goals and we held them off in the end.”

Kopitar scored the game’s first goal at 4:38 of the second period by skating down the left side and snapping a wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle past Saros on the far side.

Kopitar, the NHL’s reigning First Star of the Week, continued his torrid start to the season. The Kings’ captain has five goals and three assists in three games played.

In the game’s final seconds, with Petersen pulled for an extra attacker, Sissons blocked a Drew Doughty shot to seal the victory for Nashville.