It’s time to get on a roll.
The Kings return home on Tuesday to face the visiting Blue Jackets following a successful 3-1-0 road trip in which it seemed head coach Jim Hiller got some of the confidence and swagger back in his team. They have four wins in five tries under his tenure thus far, and now there is an opportunity to take advantage of three teams below them in the standings during this week’s homestand.
Following Columbus, LA will face Nashville on Thursday, and then Anaheim on Saturday. What do all three have in common? Currently, none of them are in a playoff position, and the Predators are the only ones in the grouup with a realistic chance of changing that down the stretch.
Good teams beat bad teams on home ice, that’s how you establish yourself as a legitimate playoff-caliber group. LA did their part on the road. Now, it’s time to keep up the momentum at Crypto.com Arena, where they have struggled mightily this season.
For as much talk as there was about the Kings struggles during December and January, the fact is, they are still very much in the hunt for one of the Pacific Division’s top three spots. They trail Edmonton by just three points, and Vegas by six points. LA also has two games in hand on Vegas, which is only a good thing if you win those contests.
A big factor contributing to the recent success of Hiller’s group is the re-emergence of depth scoring; something that had been missing since the first couple months of the season. Adrian Kempe may be ready to return from his winter slumber, potting two goals in Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh. Rookie defenseman Brandt Clarke scored his first career goal (in spectacular fashion) on the trip, as well. When a team has three dangerous forward lines, as well as multiple defensemen putting the puck in the net, a team becomes much more dangerous — obviously.
Now, Hiller and the Kings need to transfer those performances to home ice.
Among the only lineup questions heading into tonight are who will start in goal and what about Arthur Kaliyev? The latter scored against the Blue Jackets the only other time to the two clubs met this season. Perhaps that will help sway the decision to let him play his second consecutive game after sitting out five.
As for the goaltending, David Rittich has been getting the bulk of starts under Hiller, but Cam Talbot had a nice bounce back performance in Pittsburgh. We’ll have to see what today’s morning skate brings.
The last time these two teams met, Pheonix Copley picked up a 4-3 shootout win for LA. It was his final victory of the season. Either Cam Talbot (15-13-5, 2.58 GAA, .911 save percentage) or David Rittich (8-2-3, 2.25 GAA, .919 save percentage) will get the start. Neither has faced the Blue Jackets yet this season.
Statistically Speaking
— With Alex Turcotte in the lineup, LA is 5-1-1 this season.
— Russian forward Dmitri Voronkov has seven goals in his last 10 games for Columbus. The 23-year-old is also third among NHL rookies for goals (14) and tied for fourth in points (27).
— Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau has picked up at least one assist in six straight games (tied for the second longest streak in CBJ history). He also has nine helpers over his past 11 games; yet does not have a goal during that extended stretch. Looking out even further, Gaudreau has recorded 22 points (3G, 19A) in his last 23 games.
— Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski has points in four straight games (1-3-4) and broke a 38-game goal drought in San Jose on Saturday.
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Blue Jackets
Fiala – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Laferriere – Dubois – Byfield
Lewis – Turcotte – Kaliyev
Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Roy
Englund – Clarke
Rittich (starter)
Talbot
Likely scratches: Anderson-Dolan, Spence
Injured: Copley, Grundstrom, Lizotte (all on LTIR)
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm Pacific Time and will be televised by Bally Sports.
For those live in attendance, the LA Kings Booster Club will offer their popular ‘Puck for a Buck’ contest — featuring Jordan Spence 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
Columbus is coming off a 4-3 victory against the Sharks on Saturday.
Here’s how they lined up for that one:
Gaudreau – Jenner – Roslovic
Chinakhov – Voronkov – Marchenko
Johnson – Sillinger – Danforth
Texier – Kuraly – Oliver
Werenski – Boqvist
Provorov – Severson
Bean – Gudbranson
Merzlikins
In their last 10 games, the Blue Jackets are 4-5-1. As the away team, they’re 8-12-6 this season.
On This Day in Kings History
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