KINGS TRYING TO AVOID SINGING NASHVILLE BLUES.

Byline: MATT McHALE NHL 

The Kings saw the enemy Monday night and it wasn't Roman Cechmanek.

In the final weeks of the NHL regular season, it will be the Nashville Predators who play the biggest role in whether the Kings reach the postseason or get left out for the second consecutive year.

Despite a horrendous month, the St. Louis Blues will return to the postseason for the 25th consecutive year. Even with three consecutive losses, the Calgary Flames will get in for the first time in eight years.

The Kings' fight is with Nashville, which never has made the playoffs in its six seasons. Although the two never play again, that is where the cross hairs will be trained for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference.

A week ago, it looked like the Predators would have to wait another year. After goaltender Tomas Vokoun learned in January he was headed to the All-Star Game in Minnesota, his game fell apart.

Anyone watching Cechmanek muddle through this season in net for the Kings knows what the goaltender means to a team.

But suddenly, the Predators acquired left wing Steve Sullivan from the Chicago Blackhawks and won their next three games. Sullivan has scored five goals and added five assists.

He's always been a dependable player. In new surroundings, he has sparked the Predators and taken considerable pressure away from Vokoun.

By the March 9 trade deadline, the Kings hope to get back Martin Straka, the left wing they acquired at the end of November when Adam Deadmarsh gave up any hope of returning this season.

Straka can't carry a team, but he once scored 35 goals and 95 points for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has missed almost two months recovering from surgery to both knees. Straka is getting closer and could be back by early to mid-March.

They also could have defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky back for the stretch. Visnovsky was having his finest season when he injured a nerve in his neck just before the All-Star break. It was the same injury that has sidelined Aaron Miller for almost three months, but the Kings are more optimistic about Visnovsky.

The Kings have been burned this season thinking players would come back from injuries. They were convinced Deadmarsh and Jason Allison would be back from concussions by training camp.

Six months later, neither has played a shift. And the Kings, with a payroll around $48 million that includes $11.5 million to Allison and Deadmarsh, don't want to add salary.

They will get back almost $3 million on Allison's deal through insurance and most likely will do something around the deadline. But as general manager Dave Taylor put it, ``There aren't a lot of top power forwards out there being shopped around.''

Actually there will be plenty of possibilities as teams try to unload the last of their multiyear contracts before the collective bargaining agreement expires in September. With hockey's future uncertain, flexibility is the most important word in the sport.

Players like the New York Rangers' Alexei Kovalev and Washington's Robert Lang are available. And teams will take draft choices rather than a player with a multiyear deal in return.

Then there are the usual suspects like Phoenix's Chris Gratton and Washington's Anson Carter.

The Predators found a good one in Sullivan, but he might just be riding the clean air out of Chicago. At 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, Sullivan probably is not big enough to carry the Preds the final six weeks.

But if he can help them buy time while Vokoun gets back on his game, then it will be money well spent.

Nashville general manager Dave Poile, a good friend of Taylor's, said he would like to sign Sullivan, a pending restricted free agent, to a long term deal.

But none of that matters now. Sullivan turns 30 in July. The new CBA might make him an unrestricted free agent when the deal finally is settled.

The only time frame that matters is now.

After Monday, Nashville returns home for three games. It only has nine home games remaining and ends the season on the road in Colorado.

The Kings have just nine road games remaining, but their schedule is by no means easy. Five of their last seven are on the road, including games at Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Colorado. Three of those four teams are expected to reach the playoffs.

They also have four games with division-leading San Jose, including the season finale April 4 on the road.

Of their final four games, only two - both with Edmonton -come against teams that would be in the postseason if it started today.

After Monday night, the Kings and Predators do not play each other.

But each knows where to find the other. Hanging around that eighth and final playoff spot, trying to bump off the other.

CAPTION(S):

3 boxes

Box:

(1) FROM THE BLUE LINES

(2) Daily News/CBS 2/KCAL 9 SPORTS CENTRAL POWER RANKINGS

- Matt McHale

(3) WHAT'S ON

Kings at Dallas