Los Angeles Kings vs Anaheim Ducks Game Preview
Two elite teams and close geographical rivals square off attempting to send a message to each other ahead of the playoffs, and for the Kings another chance to set a couple of milestones that were missed on Thursday night.
(44-16-7, 95 pts) T-1st Pacific Division
vs
(38-23-6, 82 pts) 3rd Pacific Divison
7:30 PM
Staples Center
TV: FS-W; RADIO: KEIB AM1150
MATCHUP HISTORY
This is the fourth of five meetings between the two clubs. Los Angeles has won just 1 of the 3 matches so far. The Kings won 3-2 in a shootout in December, but the Ducks were on the right end of 2-1 and 3-0 scores in a late January home and home series.
Jan 25, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing
Tim Jackman(18) works to screen Los Angeles Kings goalie
Jonathan Quick(32) as Los Angeles Kings defenseman
Drew Doughty(8) defends during the Stadium Series hockey game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
LAST GAMES
The Kings had their attempt to set a franchise record winning streak snapped by the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 3-2 on Thursday. The Ducks have lost 4 in a row, with two of those coming in extra time. They followed up a humiliating 7-2 road loss to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night with a 6-4 win in Colorado Friday night.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Teemu Selanne, ANH – This could be the penultimate opportunity to see one of the NHL’s biggest legends in action at Staples Center. Selanne has points in career games against the Kings. His production is well off his career pace, as he is still looking for his 10th goal of the season (he sits at 7) and the 43 year old is most likely to retire after the season is completed.
Dustin Brown, LAK – The Kings’ captain has been adjusting to life on the third line after being bumped by Marian Gaborik‘s acquisition at the trade deadline last week. He has 41 points in 56 career games against Anaheim, including 1 goal this season.
TOP 3 STORYLINES FOR THE GAME
1. Elite Message – The Kings need to make a statement by beating an elite team, because their season record against the top 10 NHL teams isn’t great.
2. Stop the Slide – The Ducks have been caught by the Sharks in the standings thanks to the recent 4 game skid. They got back into the win column on Friday, but so did the Sharks.
3. Explosive Offense vs Tight Defense – This is an intriguing matchup because of the varied styles of play. An example of the potency of the Ducks’ offense is that they scored 6 times in the second period on Friday night.