The Freeway Face-Off comes to Los Angeles tonight, as the Kings look to get back on track against the cross-town rival Anaheim Ducks. For head coach Jim Hiller and his group, they’ll be looking to come out with some intent and execution following a disappointing outing on Thursday night when they lost to the Predators.
They’re also coming in with some rest, as the Kings did not skate on Friday.
Unfortunately for LA, they’re expected to be down another key player. As reported yesterday, defenseman Mikey Anderson was having more tests done to determine the extent of an injury suffered in the third period against Nashville. In his place, the Kings have recalled Jordan Spence from AHL Ontario.
Similar to the story throughout this current three-game road-trip, the Kings are facing an opponent below them in the standings — far below in the case of the Ducks — thus, they need to pick up a win. Of course, Anaheim is also one of their biggest rivals, so many would like to see a rather dominant performance; which would also help erase the memory of Thursday and set the club up on a positive note before they head out of town on Sunday. Given the difficulty of the upcoming Western Canadian trip, some momentum on home ice would be gladly welcomed.
As far as the forward lines go, it seems Hiller is still looking for a winger to fit in with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe on the top line. Ever since Quinton Byfield found a home with PL Dubois, there has been a noticeable vacancy up top. Alex Laferriere has been given some looks, as has Arthur Kaliyev. For the Kings to get some rhythm going, someone needs to step up, especially until Viktor Arvidsson is able to return to action.
Jaret Anderson-Dolan is an option to draw in, should Hiller want to get a different look among his forwards.
Defensively, the below alignment is a projection and will be adjusted following this morning’s pregame skate.
Statistically Speaking
— It’s double birthday Saturday. Both Jordan Spence (23) and Phil Danault (31) were born on this day.
— Kevin Fiala now sits second on the Kings in power-play goals after recording his sixth marker of the season with the man advantage on Thursday. It was his 15th goal of the campaign and his 400th career NHL point, making him the fourth Swiss-born player in league history to reach that plateau.
— Anze Kopitar leads all Kings players with seven power-play goals. In his career, he also now has more power play assists (165) than anybody in Kings franchise history, breaking his previous tie with Wayne Gretzky.
— Adrian Kempe has reached the 30-assist mark for the first time in his career, also tying Kevin Fiala for the most helpers on the team this season. Kempe is now just the fourth Swedish-trained skater in Kings franchise history to notch 30 assists in a single season, joining Viktor Arvidsson (1x), Tomas Sandstrom (1x) and Juha Widing (4x). Kempe joins Viktor Arvidsson (3x) as the only Swedish skaters selected in the 2014 NHL Draft to record a 30-assist season.
— Byfield had his five-game home point streak (5G, 4A) snapped on Thursday.
— With Alex Turcotte in the lineup, LA is 6-2-1 this season.
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Predators
Laferriere – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Fiala
Lizotte – Dubois – Byfield
Lewis – Turcotte – Kaliyev
Gavrikov – Doughty
Clarke – Roy
Englund – Spence
Talbot (starter)
Rittich
Likely scratches: Anderson-Dolan
Injured: Anderson
LTIR: Arvidsson, Copley, Grundstrom
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm Pacific Time and will be televised by ESPN+.
For those live in attendance, the LA Kings Booster Club will offer their popular ‘Puck for a Buck’ contest — featuring Quinton Byfield for this game. Just $1 could win you an autographed puck from an NHL star. Visit their table outside sections 317-318 on the upper concourse for more information.
LA Royal Army, another fan support group, has a booth outside section 303. They do watch parties and other fun activities. Stop by and check them out.
Across the Ice
Anaheim is coming off a 6-4 defeat to the Blue Jackets on Wednesday.
Here’s how they lined up for that one:
Henrique – Carlson – Killorn
Vatrano – McTavish – Terry
Lundestrom – Strome – Silfverberg
Johnston – Carrick – Jones
Vaalanainen – Fowler
Mintyukov – Lyubushkin
Lacombe – Gudas
Gibson
In their last 10 games, the Ducks are 5-4-1. As the away team, they’re 12-15-1 this season.
On This Day in Kings History
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