Thursday night.
Tonight the Los Angeles Kings fight for their playoff lives when they take on the 3rd place Calgary Flames. Whoever wins will take 3rd place in the Pacific Division and is playoff bound. Whoever doesn’t goes home.
Puck-drop is 6:00 p.m. PST at Scotiabank Saddledome.
The Kings are coming off a devastating 4-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers from Tuesday night. The loss puts L.A. in a position where they need to win-out and get some help.
From Rich Hammond the L.A. Kings beat writer at the Orange County Register:
Most reasonable playoff scenario for Kings: beat Calgary, beat San Jose, pray for Winnipeg to beat Calgary on Saturday
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) April 8, 2015
The Flames have won their last 2 games, beating the Oilers 4-0 and the Arizona Coyotes 3-2. The Flames have been playing well as of late. Calgary is showing how much they want that last playoff spot in the Pacific.
In their previous 4 games this season the Kings are 1-1-2. L.A. has been outscored 11-8 in the series.
Tonight’s lineup for the Kings is expected to be as follows:
Los Angeles Kings
Forwards:
Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Justin Williams
Dwight King – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli
Dustin Brown – Jarret Stoll – Trevor Lewis
Kyle Clifford – Nick Shore – Jordan Nolan
Defensemen:
Jake Muzzin – Drew Doughty
Robyn Regehr – Alec Martinez
Brayden McNabb – Matt Greene
Goaltenders:
Jonathan Quick
Martin Jones
This is the biggest game of the season for the Kings, so of course Jonathan Quick will be between the pipes. It hasn’t been an ideal season for the Kings star goaltender. Quick has looked human this year, shedding his invincible image. Hopefully he’s saving some of that stellar hockey for the last push.
Quick is 35-21-13 this season with 6 shutouts. Quick has the NHL’s 19th ranked goals against average of 2.26, and the 32nd ranked save percentage with a .917. Very human.
The forward and defensive lines are the same as they have been for the last 4-5 games. Head coach Darryl Sutter likes what he has and isn’t willing to change anything at the last minute just because there’s additional pressure.
Another great point by Rich Hammond:
Kings' 2 "survival" games are against the teams that fired Darryl Sutter: Calgary and San Jose. DS would play if he could.
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) April 8, 2015
Calgary players to keep an eye on:
Flame for Thought
Johnny Gaudreau, or ‘Johnny Hockey’ is the Flames young star. In his rookie season with the Flames Gaudreau has 23 goals, 46 assists, 69 points, a +9 plus/minus, 8 power-play goals and 4 game-winners in 79 games.
Small, fast, and skilled; Guadreau does damage in almost every game he plays. Gaudrean has 2 goals and 4 points in his last 5 games. In 4 games against L.A. this season Gaudreau has 3 goals, 3 assists, and 6 points.
On December 22nd Gaudreau registered his first career natural hat-trick to erase a 3-0 Kings lead. Calgary would go on to win that game 4-3 in OT. Gaudreau has scored a point in every game the two teams have played this season.
He must be stopped.
L.A. needs to be aware of his every move. Everytime Gaudreau is on the ice, Jake Muzzin and Drew Doughty should be out there harrassing him.
Sean Monahan is in his second year with the Flames. This season he’s the Flames only 30-goal scorer. Let’s keep it that way. Monahan is one of 14 players to have 30 or more goals on the season. That puts him in some pretty elite company.
In 80 games Monahan has 31 goals, 30 assists, 61 points, +6 plus/minus, 10 power-play goals, 1 short-handed goal, and 8 game-winners. Looking at those numbers you have to think, ‘what doesn’t he do?’.
Against the Kings this season Monahan has 1 goal and 2 assists. L.A. needs to bully Monahan off the puck. The need to hammer him every time he touches the puck. Monahan’s 6’2 and 185 pounds soaking wet.
To beat the Flames the Kings are going to have to beat on their stars and scorers.
It’s going to be a fast and furious game tonight. Both teams are playing for their lives and their seasons.
L.A. can’t get caught up in the end-to-end fast play that is the Flames game. The Kings need to play their game: get the puck deep, work the cycle, dominate the puck control and attack zone time, and hit, hit, hit.
L.A. is the bigger, strong, more experienced, more battle hardened and battle tested team. Tonight they need to play with that swaggar. Tonight they need to know they are the better team and act like it.
To get into the playoffs L.A. might need a little help after putting themselves in a precarious position with that 4-2 loss to the Oilers on Tuesday, but that comes later. Tonight it’s one game at a time. It’s one game in focus.
Beat. The. Flames.
Next: Kings Cap-Cash Is In The Offense, They Need To Earn It
Dec 29, 2014; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown (23) and Calgary Flames defenseman Kris Russell (4) fight for position in front of Calgary Flames goalie Jonas Hiller (1) during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports