The late-night puck drop was no issue for the Predators as they marched into Crypto.com Arena with confidence and a wave of momentum on their side. Throughout the early stages of the season, Nashville so often came up just short for one reason or another. Finally, it looks like Andrew Brunette's squad has figured things out.

After 13 contests, Nashville had more overtime losses than wins. Brunette was on the hot seat, and major questions about his immediate future in Nashville were swirling. Since then, the Predators have not lost a game. On Tuesday, Nashville defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-0 to advance to 9-4-5.

On the opposite end of Nashville's bench sat the Predators' own former bench boss, Peter Laviolette. Now in his first year with the Kings, Laviolette helped the Predators reach the playoffs in each of his six seasons with the organization, including the lone Stanley Cup appearance in franchise history. Many of his former players are still on the Predators' roster and were ultimately key contributors in Nashville's fifth straight victory.

Jusse Saros continues to shine as one of the league's top goaltenders. He produced his first clean sheet of the season, stopping all - of the Kings shot attempts. This tremendous effort comes just days after he recieved weekly honors as the NHL's third star of the week. It is also just one day removed from his mentor and predecessor Pekka Rinne's Hall of Fame induction, which Saros was in attendance for.

On the offensive end, one duo proved to be a true difference-maker. Filip Forsberg recorded his second two-goal game of the season. After a slow start, Nashville's greatest offensive engine in franchise history seems to be returning to form. On Tuesday, the lifelong Preds player had an obvious connection with Nashville newcomer Nils Höglander, who was credited with an assist on each of Forsbergs goals.

All around, the Predators look more fluid and cohesive. Many roster changes left the team looking disjointed and frustratingly out of sync at the start of the year. Now, they not only look like a team that has shared the ice for nearly 20 contests, but they also play with more energy. The recent realization that there is meaningful hockey left to be played this season has ignited the team. One area that has shown exponential growth is the team's blue line efforts.

Roman Josi is still the captain and shows time and time again why he has held on to that title for nearly a decade. He remained one of the few bright spots on a deflated defensive unit. He has anchored the turnaround on the blue line and represented the team appropriately as the captain. In the victory, the respect he has from his teammates was on full display.

After taking a tough hit from Andre Lee late in the second period, enforcer Adam Edstrom made quick work of Lee. The decisive interaction between Edstrom and Lee is representative of the Predators in their current state. The Music City hockey club has found its rhythm, and they are reaching a crescendo.