Nashville Predators take a royal 4-1 beating from the Kings

There's not much to say about tonight's drubbing in Los Angeles, as Pekka Rinne was pulled from the game in the 2nd period after allowing 4 goals on 22 shots, and the Preds were simply outworked up and down the ice. Nashville has now dropped four straight games, and 7 out of their last 9 as they head to Anaheim for a game Sunday evening.

Follow after the jump, if you dare, for the highlights, advanced even-strength stats, and a few thoughts...

The Preds return to Bridgestone Arena Saturday, November 13 vs. the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, so plan ahead and use the OtF discount to save money on Nashville Predators tickets for this, or any other home game. 

First, the video highlights (viewer discretion advised)...

• One thing I remember Pekka Rinne being complimented on by Steve Sullivan last season was that he was very tough to beat glove-side, because he tends to keep his glove elevated and open when a chance starts to present itself. That opening goal by Anze Kopitar was especially disappointing, considering it beat Rinne cleanly on that side.
• While I had Kevin Klein vs. Ryan Smyth pegged as the key matchup, it ended up with Shane O'Brien battling with the Kings forward in front, and losing out all too often. The O'Brien/Klein combo had a really rough night, despite SOB's late goal.
• According to the official results (which seem a bit suspect, I'll admit) the Preds attempted 62 shots, but only 26 got through to the net. The Kings attempted only 48, but 31 were on goal. Typically, about 50% of attempted shots require a save by the goalie, but tonight, things went badly for Nashville at both ends of the ice.
• You just never got the feeling that the Preds were going to generate a dangerous chance tonight; most attempted shots were from the perimeter, and there were few one-on-one battles that Nashville won on the attack. The lack of Lombardi, Erat, and Suter has absolutely drained this team of its offensive depth.
• Anders Lindback looked fine in relief, stopping 9 shots after coming in late in the second period. Does he get the start tomorrow, or do you throw Rinne back in there so he can build some momentum?

And now for the stats...

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