Kings head into All-Star break on a winning note

NASHVILLE —  Alex Turcotte had his first NHL goal and assist and the Kings beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 on Wednesday night to snap a four-game skid in the final game for both teams before the NHL All-Star break.

Playing his second NHL game of the season and 14th overall, Turcotte — the fifth overall pick in 2019 — made it 2-0 in the second period and had an assist on Trevor Lewis’ goal with 6:39 left that helped Los Angeles win for just the third time in 17 games.

Dave Rittich, who played 17 games for Nashville in the 2021-22 season, made 38 saves to improve to 5-1-3 this season.

Carl Grundstrom also scored and Kevin Fiala added an empty-netter.

Filip Forsberg tried to rally Nashville with his 24th goal of the season at 5:15 of the third. Philip Tomasino scored his seventh with 3:24 to go, pulling the Predators to 3-2. Nashville snapped a six-game home points streak against the Kings.

Nashville didn’t seem to be the team for the Kings to beat, with the Predators taking the first game in Los Angeles on Jan. 18. Nashville had won 12 of 15 between the teams, losing only three times in regulation in the last 27 games, going 17-3-7.

The Kings came in sitting in the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, tied with St. Louis and Nashville with 54 points. Nashville has lost three straight (0-2-1).

Grunderson put the Kings up with his eighth goal, a wrister over Juuse Saros’ glove into the far corner at 8:51 of the first period.

Then Turcotte scored at 5:36 on a wrister as he skated through the left circle and put the puck over Saros’ glove, putting the Kings up 2-0. Trevor Lewis broke away from the celebration quickly to grab the puck for Turcotte.

The Predators thought they answered quickly with Tyson Barrie scoring his second goal of the season in his 800th NHL game. But the Kings challenged for goaltender interference and won, wiping the goal off the board.

Up next

Kings host Edmonton on Feb. 10.