Going into their recent, quick two-game road trip, the Los Angeles Kings were in free fall mode, losing games due to poor, uninspired efforts.
They put in a better effort against at Minnesota on March 29, but their poor special teams play helped lift the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 win.
But the real improvement came on March 30, when the Kings skated into Music City to face the Nashville Predators, who are in fifth place in the Western Conference and are a team the Kings have been unable to beat in two seasons.
The Kings put in their best effort since before the Olympic break, earning a 2-0 victory. They were led by a stellar performance by rookie goaltender Jonathan Bernier and by forward Scott Parse, who scored the game-winning goal, his third goal in two games.
The win kept the seventh-place Kings three points ahead of eighth-place Colorado in the Western Conference standings and seven points ahead of ninth-place Calgary for the final playoff spot.
Game Highlights From NHL Video On YouTube
Kings vs. Minnesota Wild, March 29, 2010
Kings vs. Nashville Predators, March 20, 2010
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I think Parse is coming along nicely.