After a fast start that put them atop the NHL standings going into this week, the Nashville Predators are experiencing their first real adversity.

They limped home from a five-game road trip at 2-2-1 after a 2-1 defeat Thursday night in Arizona, their third straight loss. And the Predators are facing life without two of their key players, one for an extended stretch and the other for at least two more games.

The good news is that they're back at Bridgestone Arena for eight of the next nine games, beginning Saturday night when they face the Los Angeles Kings.