Kings Struggle to Beat Lowly Predators, 3-2

The Kings shouldn’t have needed an overtime power play to defeat a team that’s already looking toward next season. Perhaps their narrow escape from the clutches of the Nashville Predators will reinforce the notion they can’t turn their intensity on at will.

Using three forwards and one defenseman to make the most of a four-on-three advantage, the Kings squeezed out a 3-2 victory Saturday when Jozef Stumpel’s shot from the left circle deflected off the stick of Nashville defenseman Drake Berehowsky and over goalie Mike Dunham 28 seconds into the sudden-death period. Stumpel’s shot touched off a roar of relief from the crowd of 18,118 at Staples Center, the Kings’ 12th sellout.

“We need the points, especially after the tie with Vancouver and loss to Carolina,” Stumpel said of the first two games of the Kings’ seven-game home stand. “We have to pick up the points. You have to expect every game is going to be tough.”

The Kings, seeded sixth in the West, stayed two points ahead of Colorado and moved a point behind the fifth-seeded Phoenix Coyotes. But they made it tough on themselves Saturday. They couldn’t hold a 1-0 lead they built on Dan Bylsma’s goal at 9:19 of the first period, and a 2-1 lead they took at 16:22 on a foray to the right circle by defenseman Garry Galley. The Kings also wasted their first four power plays, including a four-minute advantage in the second period.

They finally clicked after defenseman Kartis Skrastins was penalized for tripping Palffy in the waning seconds of the third period, and the power play carried over into overtime.

“They played hard, even though they’re pretty much out of the playoffs,” winger Glen Murray said. “We laid back and didn’t take it to them early. . . . We’ve got to turn it up a notch. We’ve got 17 games left, and it’s like the playoffs.”

The victory came at a cost. Goalie Stephane Fiset, who has a history of groin pulls, suffered a strained left groin muscle during a goalmouth pileup at 14:15 of the second period and was replaced by Jamie Storr; Fiset will be re-evaluated today.

Center Bryan Smolinski was helped off 36 seconds later, after he was hit in the left eye by Greg Johnson’s high stick to the left of the Kings’ net. Smolinski suffered a corneal abrasion and also needed two stitches to close a cut beneath his eye, but he is expected to recover in a day or two.

Storr stopped all seven shots he faced. He wasn’t permitted to warm up, but he benefited from extra protection from his teammates.

“When you come into a situation like that, especially a tight game, all you want to do is stay calm,” Storr said. “The guys tend to dive in front of the puck for you because they know you just got in. . . .

“It would have been such a letdown to settle for a tie. The biggest thing is we worked hard and got two points. We were rewarded.”

Luc Robitaille wasn’t rewarded, though. The King left wing was held without a point, ending his 15-game point streak.

Although Coach Andy Murray has been concerned about jump-starting the second line, it was the fourth line that scored the Kings’ first goal. Len Barrie won the puck in a scrum in the Kings’ zone and passed to Bob Corkum, who skated up the left side. Corkum skated into the left faceoff circle before passing across to Bylsma, who rifled the puck into the net for his third goal.

The Predators capitalized on a bit of luck to tie the score at 10:16. Scott Walker was set up by Ville Peltonen for a shot from the left circle that deflected off King defenseman Mattias Norstrom and eluded Fiset.

Galley combined with Sean O’Donnell to put the Kings ahead, 2-1, at 16:22. Stumpel orchestrated the play by controlling the puck and finding O’Donnell open on the left side. O’Donnell showed some smarts when he passed across to Galley, who waited before unleashing a wrist shot from about 25 feet out.

Jason Blake, playing on the second line in place of Donald Audette, hit the post in the third minute, and the Kings wasted a power play they had gained at 6:11 when Walker was penalized for slashing. Those failures loomed large when Nashville defenseman Bill Houlder redirected a shot by Johnson to tie the score, 2-2, at 13:19.

Johnson was assessed a double minor for hitting Smolinski in the eye, but the Kings mounted no sustained pressure on the Predators and took only one shot. Boos rang out from the stands as the advantage ended.