Tommy Novak scored twice off rebounds in the first six minutes against Los Angeles on Saturday. The Kings got back within a goal before an apparent equalizer was waved off for offside. Now Nashville comes in with four straight wins, and the first thing to watch is how quickly the Kings clear loose pucks from the crease.
Who gets the second shot?
The Kings were slight favorites at -130 in Tuesday’s DraftKings snapshot. The shot projections put both teams around 28. With similar volume, watch what happens after the first save. A puck steered into the corner gives the defense time to reset. One left in the slot can give the next shooter a look before the goalie is square.
If Juuse Saros and Darcy Kuemper start, Saros has stopped about 92% of the shots he faced in his last five appearances for Nashville, compared with about 89% for Kuemper over his last five for Los Angeles. Kuemper stopped 30 of 32 against San Jose, then gave up four goals on 18 shots against Pittsburgh. That swing puts the five-game numbers in perspective and gives the Kings’ work in front of the crease some weight.
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What could open up the scoring?
Nashville gave up four goals across its last three wins, and none of those games reached six combined. Its 3–1 win over St. Louis included a power-play goal for each team in the first period. Jimmy Snuggerud ended Nashville’s seven-game run without allowing a power-play goal, and Steven Stamkos tied it before intermission.
With the total at 6.5, keep an eye on penalties and who’s chasing the game late. Pittsburgh’s 5–2 win got to seven on Sidney Crosby’s empty-net goal. Even if Nashville keeps the middle of the ice quiet at five-on-five, power plays and a late goalie pull can change the scoring picture quickly.
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