Rocco Grimaldi and Craig Smith each had a goal and an assist to help the visiting Nashville Predators end a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Roman Josi had two assists to extend his career-high point streak to nine games (seven goals, 10 assists), which ties Shea Weber for the longest point streak by a defenseman in team history.
Ryan Johansen and Yakov Trenin also scored, and Pekka Rinne made 23 saves for the Predators.
Alex Iafallo scored, and Jack Campbell made 34 saves for the Kings, who beat the visiting Predators 7-4 on Oct. 12.
Grimaldi gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 10:21 of the first period when he followed up his own rebound and scored up high against Campbell.
Johansen made it 2-0 when he scored off a centering pass from Josi with 44 seconds left in the opening period.
Josi has 43 points on the season (14 goals, 29 assists), the most through 40 games in team history.
After the Predators failed to capitalize on a two-on-one at the start of a power play, Josi turned the puck over along the wall in the Nashville end. Tyler Toffoli quickly centered a pass to Iafallo, who scored to make it 2-1 at 5:57 of the second period.
Nashville reestablished the two-goal lead when Trenin scored at 9:37 of the third period to make it 3-1. Smith made it 4-1 at 10:46.
Kings defenseman Alec Martinez returned after being sidelined since Nov. 25 with a wrist laceration. He played 17:58.
Predators center Matt Duchene (illness) and defenseman Dante Fabbro (upper-body injury) were late scratches. Nashville was already without defenseman Ryan Ellis (upper-body injury) and center Colton Sissons (lower-body injury), both of whom are on injured reserve
Duchene and Ellis are tied for second on the Predators with 28 points.
--Field Level Media
Nashville | Los Angeles | |
Rocco Grimaldi 2 | Points | Alex Iafallo 1 |
Rocco Grimaldi 1 | Goals | Alex Iafallo 1 |
Roman Josi 2 | Assists | Tyler Toffoli 1 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | Alex Iafallo 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Pekka Rinne .958 | Save Percentage | Jack Campbell .895 |
Pekka Rinne 23 | Saves | Jack Campbell 34 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Nashville | 38 | 4 | 0-5 | 3-4 | 13 | 38 |
Los Angeles | 24 | 1 | 1-4 | 5-5 | 15 | 33 |