Kings stagger home after 4-3 loss to Predators

NASHVILLE -- Apparently, there is one way to stop the losing.

Three consecutive days off may not be the cure for the dejected free-falling Kings, but the mini-break in the NHL schedule represents a timely Christmas gift, or at the very least, a possible hockey life raft.

Not only did the Kings lose their seventh consecutive game -- this time to another struggling team as sub-.500 Nashville won, 4-3, behind Jason Arnott’s hat trick on Saturday at Nationwide Arena -- there was yet another injury to another key player.

The Kings’ goals came from defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky (second of the year) and two from Patrick O’Sullivan, who had his eighth and ninth. O’Sullivan logged 25 minutes 32 seconds and his first goal, an unassisted short-handed effort on a breakaway, gave the Kings a 2-1 lead at 10:23 of the second period as he took advantage of a David Legwand turnover.

But the Predators fought back with three unanswered goals and held on after O’Sullivan brought the Kings to within one about midway through the third.

The Kings had 37 shots on goal.

“It’s one of the toughest things all of them have been through,” said Kings Coach Marc Crawford, also noting the fatigue factor of back-to-back games and a particularly intense month. “All you can hope is you learn lessons, and those lessons serve you well when you become a good team.

“That’s what we keep telling them: Just remember these times. When it starts to go good, you’ll have a great memory of what it was like and how bad and how hard you had to battle to get to the right side of it.”

Saturday’s overriding theme? It can get worse with two injuries to two central players on this three-game trip.

Not only were the Kings already without leading goal scorer Dustin Brown, sidelined because of a shoulder injury, they had the services of another vital offensive cog, Michael Cammalleri, for only 2:21.

Cammalleri suffered a rib injury early in the first period after a scrap with Predators defenseman Greg Zanon at 5:25. Although Cammalleri later downplayed the injury, he did not return to action.

“I don’t think it’s that bad, but who knows,” Crawford said.

And without the offensive skills of Brown and Cammalleri -- that would be a combined 31 goals and 58 points sitting in the training room -- it was little wonder the Kings were unable to score on the power play against the Predators, going 0 for 6, including a tide-turning 1:09 with a two-man advantage late in the second period.

Brown, meanwhile, skated in the morning and felt the shoulder had improved a great deal, but the trainers opted to keep him out, concerned about his shoulder holding up in physical battles in the corners.

“I probably could play if this was a playoff game,” he said. “I wanted to play, and I’m frustrated not being able to play. But there’s no sense in risking it. It’s already way ahead of schedule.”

His morning frustration was replaced by night-time dejection.

“Absolutely. Everybody is pretty miserable right now,” said Kings goalie Jason LaBarbera, who faced 32 shots. “When you lose, it’s not fun. It takes its toll on everyone. It’s stressful. I’m stressed out. A lot of guys are stressed out.

“We want to do well. We’re trying. For whatever reason, it’s not working.”

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com