The Kings have the opposite problem. Before Nashville showed up they'd scored 6, 6 and 7, so a 3-0 home shutout looks more like a team that sat around for nearly a week and came out cold than an offense that forgot how to score. The Predators scored in every period and never trailed, and that was their 5th straight win. Los Angeles never got going.
Kevin Fiala is the name to watch. He missed the Nashville game with a lower-leg injury, and pregame reporting on that game pegged him to return Thursday or Saturday. Getting him back for this one would give a Kings offense that just went quiet a real lift. If he's not ready, Los Angeles has to fix things without him again.
For New York, the question is whether anyone besides Sorokin shows up. Asking him for 37-save nights to steal points won't hold up for a whole trip. The Islanders have to drive the play more if they want to stop living in shootouts, and they've been losing those anyway. Anaheim is next on Saturday, so they'd like to head down the freeway with something better than another single point.
