Los Angeles Kings in Buffalo Facing Sabres to Start Northeastern Road-Trip
The Los Angeles Kings will start their Northeastern road-trip in Buffalo tonight when they take on the Sabres. Puck-drop at First Niagara Center is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PST.
Los Angeles enters the game on a one game losing streak after falling to the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 at home. The Kings are fighting to get out of a rut they are seemingly stuck in.
L.A. is trapped in 4th place in the Pacific Division, and tie for 7th in the Western Conference. As the old saying goes, it seems to be ‘one foot forward and two steps back,’ for the Kings. The Kings gain momentum only to hit a snag one-two games later. It’s a pattern the Kings need to break.
This road trip through the Northeast could be the opportunity for the Kings to turn around their streaky play and road woes. L.A. no longer has the distinction of the league’s worst team away from home, but they’re record’s nothing to brag about.
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Puck Prose
The Kings are 3-4-4 away from Staples Center. They can’t afford to lose two-thirds’ of the games on this trip East.
The Sabres have been streaky the last few weeks. Buffalo is now on a two-game losing streak after losing to the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Saturday. In their last 10 games however, the Sabres have gone 6-4.
Despite their recent success the Sabres are still one of the worst teams in the NHL. Buffalo is tied for 27th in the NHL and 14th in the Eastern Conference with 20 points. The Sabres are 9-16-2, with a home record of 5-7-2.
In the first meeting between the two teams this year the Kings managed to shutout the Sabres 2-0 in Los Angeles. The Kings gave up an astounding, for Buffalo, number of shots-29, in the game but were able to keep the puck out of the net.
The Kings lineup for tonight’s game is projected to be:
Forwards:
Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Justin Williams
Tanner Pearson – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli
Dustin Brown – Jarret Stoll – Trevor Lewis
Dwight King – Mike Richards – Jordan Nolan
Defensemen:
Jake Muzzin – Drew Doughty
Alec Martinez – Robyn Regehr
Brayden McNabb – Matt Greene
Goaltenders:
Jonathan Quick
Martin Jones
L.A. Kings Insider Jon Rosen reported from the Kings morning skate in Buffalo that Jonathan Quick will be the starter for the Kings tonight.
Quick started against the Flyers on Saturday afternoon, allowing 2 goals on 16 shots. Look for Quick to get back on track against the Sabres, who are known for games with limited shots on goal this season.
Kings star forward Marian Gaborik was day-to-day with an upper-body injury, but looks set to return tonight. Gaborik made the trip with the team and participated in the morning skate line rushes, but hasn’t played since November 29th, missing 4 games.
Gaborik’s return has caused a juggling of the lines. Head coach Darryl Sutter has put Justin Williams up with Gaborik and Kopitar on the first line.
Williams has been on fire in his last ten games, scoring 9 points, after skating alongside Dustin Brown. Williams and Brown played on the Kings top line for the majority of last season. Then Gaborik arrived at the trade deadline and Brown was bumped down. Williams production could help Gaborik and Kopitar get back into their scoring ways.
That 70’s line will be back together for the first time in three weeks. The line of Pearson-73, Carter-77, and Toffoli-70, were hot to start the season but ran cold after the Kings first 15 games. Tonight is a good opportunity for the trio to reunite. They have to capitalize and produce points.
Kyle Clifford is recovering from a flu, so Jordan Nolan will stay in the lineup. Nolan will face his father, Ted Nolan, the Buffalo Sabres head coach, for the second time in his career.
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Sabre Noise
Buffalo has not been one of the toughest teams in hockey, but there are few players to keep on eye on.
Tyler Ennis is the team’s first line center. Ennis leads the Sabres with 9 assists and 16 points. Ennis is a small centermen that shouldn’t create a matchup problem or be difficult to handle for L.A.’s physical, hardened Western Conference centers. Ennis can make plays with his shiftiness, his quick passes and his instincts around the net. Kings players need to keep an eye on Ennis, who makes cuts to open space in split-seconds if you take your eye off him.
Only four players on the Sabres roster have more than 10 points.
Zemgus Girgensons leads Buffal with 8 goals, and is second with 14 points. Girgensons is swiftly becoming the Sabres biggest star. The 20-year-old center can play wing or in the middle, hits, is a fast solid skater and scores. L.A. can’t underestimate the young Girgensons, he is one player on Buffalo that is a force to be reckoned with.
Tyler Myers is not the player he was in his rookie season. In 26 games this season Myers has 1 goal and 6 points. The 24-year-old defensemen has time on his side: he still has a long way to go in his career and his the ability to play like a star. Unfortunately for Buffalo, Myers doesn’t play like a star consistently. Myers is a big body on the blue line, playing on the power-play and penalty-kill. The ability to rush the puck and a heavy slapshot from the point are Myers two biggest assets.
Another young defensemen for Kings fans to keep an eye on is Rasmus Ristolainen. Ristolainen is in his first full season with the Sabres after playing in 34 games intermittently throughout last season. Ristolainen has played in all 27 of Buffalo’s games so far this year. Ristolainen has shown vast improvement in his puck moving abilities. The 6’4, 220 pound, 20-year-old is just finding his footing in the NHL, but his development track seems fast. Keep an eye out for Buffalo’s #55. Great name too, sounds like a hockey villain.
Jhonas Enroth has taken advantage of his starting opportunities with Michael Neuvirth out with injury. Enroth stole a few games for the Sabers, and played extremely well over the last two streaks. Now that Neuvirth is back, Enroth remains the starter.
Enroth currently has a goal against average of 3.08, and a save percentage of .913.
The Kings have had no problem getting a load of shots, but they have had trouble scoring. Enroth has faced tons of shots in almost all of his games, but has risen to the task stepping up for the Sabres.
If the Kings want to win, they have to find a solution for Enroth.
Puck drop is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PST.
Go Kings Go!
Oct 23, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA: Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) wins a face off with Buffalo Sabres center Cody Hodgson (19) during first period action at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports