By GREG BEACHAM<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES (AP) \u2014 Luke Evangelista scored the only goal of the shootout in the eighth round, and the Nashville Predators tightened the Western Conference playoff race with a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Nashville, Los Angeles and San Jose are now even with 79 points apiece for the second wild-card playoff spot in the West, but the Sharks \u2014 who beat Toronto 4-1 earlier Thursday<\/a> \u2014 have a game in hand.<\/p>\n Steven Stamkos scored his 37th goal and Jonathan Marchessault ended his 14-game goal drought for the Preds, who snapped their three-game skid despite blowing a three-goal lead. Filip Forsberg and Zachary L\u2019Heureux also scored.<\/p>\n Juuse Saros stopped 29 shots before turning in a perfect eight-round shootout for Nashville.<\/p>\n The first 15 skaters in the shootout all failed to score before Evangelista ended it with a deke and a backhand for his first shootout goal of the season.<\/p>\n Adrian Kempe scored two goals and Joel Armia tied it midway through the third period for the Kings, who have lost six of eight with their season in the balance.<\/p>\n Scott Laughton also scored, and Darcy Kuemper rebounded from a rough beginning to make 31 saves before a strong shootout.<\/p>\n Before the game, the Kings honored retiring captain Anze Kopitar with a ceremony recognizing his 20-year career. The Slovenian center set the team’s career scoring record<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n \n Forsberg then scored his 35th goal for Nashville in the opening minute on a stoppable shot, and L\u2019Heureux scored moments later when Kuemper was caught out of his crease.<\/p>\n Kuemper even gave a penalty shot to Nashville late in the first by throwing his stick at the puck, but Ryan O’Reilly couldn’t convert. Marchessault got his 12th goal \u2014 his first in exactly a month \u2014 early in the second.<\/p>\n Kempe finally got the Kings going when Artemi Panarin’s 51st assist deflected in off his skate, but Stamkos scored just over two minutes later. After Kempe scored again to secure the fourth 30-goal season of his career, Laughton scored moments later on a rebound.<\/p>\n Armia finally tied it when he drove the net and tapped in Jared Wright’s rebound for his 11th goal.<\/p>\n Up next<\/p>\n Predators: At San Jose on Saturday night.<\/p>\n Kings: Host Toronto on Saturday.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n