LOS ANGELES -- In a matchup of potential Western Conference playoff finalists, the Los Angeles Kings triumphed in a game that had postseason intensity and excitement.

Center Jeff Carter scored at 4:42 of overtime to give the Kings a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday afternoon.

The win was the first regular season triumph for the Kings over the Predators in two seasons. Carter and right winger Tyler Toffoli accounted for three of the four Kings goals and have tallied 13 of the Kings' 24 goals in the early season.

Los Angeles headed out on a two-game road trip to Chicago and St. Louis courtesy of a great finish by Carter off a long backhand pass from Drew Doughty. Carter waited for Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne to go down before beating him high with a wrist shot.

The Kings stand to be a major benefactor of the new 3-on-3 overtime rules. A primary reason they missed the playoffs last season was their inability to win game in the 4-on-4 overtime and shootout. Coach Darryl Sutter kidded about the rule change to 3-on-3 as an aid to their early success.

"Whatever you can do to not get to a shootout is a good idea," Sutter said. "We are geniuses at it, because we are 2-0. I know everything about it, and have got it all figured out."

Goaltender Jonathan Quick stopped 31 shots for the Kings and improved to 6-3-0. The win is his sixth consecutive win and he has a 1.31 goals-against average and .955 save percentage with one shutout during the streak.

"We're playing with a lot of confidence," Doughty said. "We can't let it get too in our heads, because we're playing confident like this," Doughty said. "At the same time trying to do all the right things, winning games, we need to continue winning."

Nashville was upbeat despite the loss as it is off to one of its finest starts in franchise history (7-2-1). The Predators left Los Angeles with a point and Coach Peter Laviolette was pleased with their performance.

"Both teams are playing really well right now. They had their moments; we had ours," Laviolette said. "We didn't expect to come in here and play our game for sixty minutes, we knew we were going to have to defend at times, but we made them do the same thing so it was a good game."

The Predators will have to bounce back quickly as they play the last place Anaheim Ducks Sunday night. Defenseman Seth Jones hopes the physical play throughout Saturday's game won't affect their play tomorrow.

"Every time you touch the puck you're getting hit," Jones said. "Whether you had the puck or you didn't someone was putting a body on you. We need to just keep it simple."

Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis set the stage for overtime when his unscreened slap shot beat Quick to the short side at 13:57 after the Kings rallied to take a third period lead.

The Kings took a 3-2 lead by scoring twice in a span of 3:02 of the final frame.

Center Andy Andreoff scored his first goal of the season by converting a rebound of a shot by defenseman Jake Muzzin at 15:08 after Toffoli's second goal of the game at 7:06 drew Los Angeles even.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead after two periods on the strength of two power play goals. Defenseman Shea Weber's blast from 60 feet beat Quick cleanly to his stick side at 16:15 for his second goal of the season.

Nashville knotted the game at 1-1 on left winger James Neal's power play goal at 12:53 of the middle frame. Neal beat Quick to his stick side for his seventh goal of the season after his initial shot was blocked by Muzzin.

The Kings opened the scoring on Toffoli's eighth goal of the season on a power play at 4:28 of the second period. Toffoli took a quick pass from defenseman Christian Ehrhoff beat Rinne with a hard backhand shot.

Rinne stopped 25 Los Angeles shots dropping his record to 6-2-1.

NOTES: The Predators scratched D Anthony Bitetto, RW Miikka Salomaki and D Victor Bartley. ... The Predators conclude their early season road trip at the Anaheim Ducks Sunday and at the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. The early trip is an annual affair as the Country Music Association Awards take over the Bridgestone Arena. ... Nashville is the only NHL club not to have surrendered an opening period goal this season. ... The Los Angeles Kings did not dress C Jordan Weal. ... The Kings sent D Derek Forbort to their AHL affiliate in Ontario. Forbort was Los Angeles' 1st round pick in the 2010 draft and continues to struggle to find a place on the Kings' 23-man roster.