Tanner Pearson scores in overtime to lead Kings to 2-1 win over Predators

So what is it about Kings left wing Tanner Pearson and overtime?

“I don’t know, but I like it,” said Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin, unleashing a good-sized laugh.

Pearson scored the overtime goal at 1:18 for the Kings as they beat the Nashville Predators, 2-1, on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena. The youngster with the gifted release did it again, scoring the overtime winner for the second time on this trip, following his successful snipe in overtime against the New York Rangers on Feb. 12, leading the Kings to their first victory in four games.

The skill he showed was the counterpoint to a tough, physical game, one of heavy lifting and considerable grit, all without the services of the Kings’ leading scorer, center Anze Kopitar, who missed his first game of the season because of a lower-body injury.

Nashville, now 1-10 in overtime, had been controlling the run of play to start overtime. “We knew what that was like last year. We weren’t that great in overtime or in the shootout,” Pearson said of the Predators’ overtime woes. “This year is a different story.”

Pearson showed considerable poise to set up the rush, taking the puck behind his own net, settling it down and gave the weary Kings enough time to make their change in three-on-three.

Center Nick Shore and defenseman Alec Martinez came on — center Jeff Carter and defenseman Drew Doughty came off — and then Pearson started the rush.

“I knew Carts and Dewey had been on for a while, so I wanted to hold it to get a change,” Pearson said. “The key thing is to have possession in OT as much as possible.

“Shorsie drove the net pretty well and pushed the D-men back and I was able to get a shot off.”

Pearson, who has eight goals, cut to his left and shot from the circle, beating Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne on the stick side.

“He’s got a great release, a great shot,” said Muzzin, who scored himself, to make it 1-0 in the first period. “In New York, he had a similar rush play with a quick release and he scored. Similar play tonight.

“We need guys stepping up in different situations. In overtime, he’s kind of found his little thing, so that’s good for us.”

Again, Doughty was forced to play big minutes, two days after his career-high 35 minutes 16 seconds at St. Louis. He joked, earlier, that his minutes would stay in the 20s, but Doughty ended up logging 32:05 on Saturday.

Kings forward Andy Andreoff (15) scuffles with Predators center Ryan Johansen (92) in the first period of their game Saturday night in Nashville.

(Mark Humphrey / Associated Press)

This was the final game of a 13-day, seven-game trip, and the Kings finished 3-3-1 and expanded their lead to four points over second-place Anaheim in the Pacific Division. On the trip, they lost winger Marian Gaborik for an extended period because of injury and now are trying to navigate this part of the schedule without the multi-dimensional Kopitar.

It was little wonder that Kings Coach Darryl Sutter showed some uncharacteristic emotion behind the bench after Pearson scored.

That could have been a response to the in-game adversity too. The Predators had six power plays and scored on one — as defenseman Ryan Ellis equalized with an opportunistic play at the post at 19:33 of the first.

“That seemed to be a theme this whole road trip — on the [penalty] kill,” said Kings left wing Milan Lucic said. “Definitely didn’t do ourselves much of a favor by taking all the penalties that we did on this road trip and especially here tonight.

“If you look at this game as a whole, you definitely have to credit the PK and Quickie [goalie Jonathan Quick], who was probably our best PKer out there. Sometimes that’s what it takes to win, a good penalty kill.”

Quick and his counterpart, the Predators’ Rinne put on quite a show. Quick faced 34 shots, Rinne 30.

“Both goalies were great,” said Nashville forward Ryan Johansen. “Peks was awesome.”

Said Pearson: “We get to watch that on a pretty regular basis. That’s just Quickie doing his thing.”

Follow Lisa Dillman on Twitter: @reallisa