The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] play their second game in back-to-back nights after they defeated the St Louis Blues in overtime 2-1 to move into the last wildcard spot in the west. The Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] are on a 3-game losing streak and are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. With a win today, the Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] can be 3 points ahead of the Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] tonight. PROJECTED KINGS LINES Here are the projected lines for the Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] tonight: Artemi Panarin - Anze Kopitar - Adrian Kempe Trevor Moore - Quinton Byfield - Alex Laferriere Joel Armia - Scott Laughton - Jared Wright Mathieu Joseph - Alex Turcotte - Taylor Ward Brian Dumoulin - Drew Doughty Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke Mikey Anderson - Cody Ceci Darcy Kuemper Anton Forsberg PROJECTED PREDATORS LINES Here are the projected lines for the Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] tonight: Zachary L'Heureux -- Ryan O'Reilly - Steven Stamkos Filip Forsberg - Matthew Wood - Jonathan Marchessault Tyson Jost - Erik Haula - Luke Evangelista Reid Schaefer - Fedor Svechkov - Joakim Kemell Brady Skjei - Roman Josi Nicolas Hague - Nick Perbix Adam Wilsby - Justin Barron Juuse Saros Justus Annunen LINE CHANGES AND INJURIES The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] are likely to start Darcy Kuemper after Anton Forsberg started last night in the 2-1 overtime win. For the Nashville Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators], Juuse Saros will likely get the start tonight, and that is likely the only change the Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] have made to their lineup. The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] are also likely to keep the same starting lineup as last night. KEY FACTORS The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] and the Blues had a very low-scoring game last night, and it worked in the Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings]' favour, as they were able to avoid panic after the Blues tied it late in the 3rd. The Kings played a strong game across the board yesterday. The offence was the weakest point, but the duo of Panarin and Kempe helped the Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] get on the board, which is something to look out for in tonight's game. The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings]' defence played a solid game yesterday, and if they play as they did against the Blues, they will find success against the Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators]. The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] need to play their game as they did in St. Louis, and if it is a low-scoring game, they can use their experience to their advantage and walk out with a win in a close matchup. Overall, the Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] have more depth than the Blues, but if the Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings]' depth players can apply pressure, it will allow the entire team to build on that momentum. This is the biggest game of the season for the Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings], as it could create a gap between them and Nashville [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] for the final wildcard spot. My prediction for tonight's matchup is a 4-2 Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] win.
