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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- No one on the Predators' bench was hanging
his head when they fell behind by three goals to the Los Angeles
Kings. Their stubbornness and determination paid off.
Greg Classen and Rob Valicevic scored during a two-man
advantage in the third period and Greg Johnson got the go-ahead
goal with 5:49 remaining in a 6-4 victory Thursday night,
Nashville's third in a row.
|  | | Rob Valicevic scored on a two-man advantage in the third to spark the Predators' comeback win over the Kings. |
"We were still on a pretty even keel at that point," Johnson
said in reference to Luc Robitaille's second goal, which increased
the Kings' margin to 4-1 against Mike Dunham.
"We just tried to stay with our game plan. We really feel
confident against this team if we play solid defensively and keep
plugging away, because we're going to get our chances. The 5-on-3
to get us within one was huge," Johnson said.
Staggered penalties to Kelly Buchberger and Rob Blake, both for
slashing, gave the Predators a 5-on-3 advantage for 56 seconds.
Classen converted a rebound of Cliff Ronning's shot 30 seconds
later. Valicevic got the tying goal after Jamie Storr made a shaky
save on Mark Eaton's slap shot.
Kings coach Andy Murray used his team's only timeout at that
point, but it didn't work. Johnson converted a centering pass from
Patric Kjellberg for his ninth goal and first game-winner. Tom
Fitzgerald scored his second of the game into an empty net in the
final minute.
It was the first time the Kings lost a game they led after two
periods since March 19, 2000, when the Predators beat them 2-1 in
overtime at Staples Center.
"They never quit," Kings center Ian Laperriere said. "They
don't have any superstars, but they're a hard-working team and they
just come to play. We got caught being lazy. We took the lead, then
sat back on it and ended up paying for it."
Bill Houlder had a goal and an assist for the Predators, who are
4-1 against the Kings on the road.
Eric Belanger had a goal and an assist and Bryan Smolinski also
scored for the Kings, who were passed by Nashville in the Western
Conference standings. Zigmund Palffy and Jozef Stumpel each had two
assists.
Robitaille pulled the Kings into a 1-1 tie in the first period
during a goalmouth scramble. With his back to the net, he
back-handed the puck between his legs from the left of the crease
with Dunham out of position.
The NHL's 13th leading career goal scorer increased his total to
578 in second during a power play, giving the Kings the 4-1 lead.
Rookie Marian Cisar was off for roughing when Robitaille got a pass
in the slot from Palffy and beat Dunham to the glove side from 15
feet for his 25th of the season.
"We weren't really on our toes in the first five minutes of the
second period," Fitzgerald said. "But it was a grit game and a
character builder for us as an organization -- to come back from 4-1
against a team like that."
Game notes
One night after playing before the smallest crowd in the
eight-year history of the Anaheim Pond (10,961), the Predators
attracted the smallest turnout in the Kings' 65 regular-season
games at Staples Center (12,639). ... Robitaille has scored in only
five of his last 21 games. But in four of those games, he has
scored twice. ... Nashville has scored the first goal in each of
its last eight games (6-2-0).
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Nashville Clubhouse
Los Angeles Clubhouse
RECAPS
Montreal 3
Boston 0
Philadelphia 2
NY Islanders 0
Washington 5
Toronto 4
Carolina 3
Atlanta 1
Tampa Bay 4
Buffalo 2
Columbus 2
St. Louis 2
Calgary 5
Chicago 3
Anaheim 4
Phoenix 2
Dallas 4
San Jose 2
Vancouver 5
Colorado 3
Nashville 6
Los Angeles 4
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