Ryan Jones scored the go-ahead goal with 2:18 remaining and Joel Ward had a goal and an assist, leading the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. With their eighth victory in 11 games, the Predators overtook Dallas and Edmonton in the Western Conference playoff race and moved into seventh place. They are a point ahead of the Stars, and lead the ninth-place Oilers by two with 12 games remaining. Thrashers 5, Capitals 1: Kari Lehtonen made 49 saves, and Slava Kozlov and Tobias Enstrom each had a goal and an assist to help Atlanta win sixth straight game. Washington, which ranks second in the Eastern Conference and is tied for third overall with 229 goals, had a three
