LA Kings: Three things you must know ahead of matchup with Sharks
By Ryan Sikes
3. Expect a big night from Anze Kopitar
On the LA Kings side, captain Anze Kopitar has been one of the roster’s most consistent players. The 33-year-old already has 14 points in 11 games, and he’s historically played very well against San Jose. Of course, much of that is expected due to the number of times the Kings play the Sharks each year.
In 74 career games, Kopitar has 21 goals and 37 assists for 58 points, second-most against any time in his career, except for the Anaheim Ducks, where he has 67 points in 72 career games. With Andreas Athanasiou and Blake Lizotte still in the NHL’s COVID protocol, the Kings have struggled to get anything going in terms of secondary scoring.
Kopitar has been a steady force, continuing to get his teammates involved in the scoring, hence his 12 assists in 11 games. The Kings will need Kopitar to continue his dominance of the Sharks tonight in order to get the team back on track.
CapFriendly’s trade proposal says goodbye to Quick and Carter. light. Hot
I wouldn’t call Tuesday a must-win for the Kings, but the remainder of February’s schedule could prove to ultimately sink the Kings if something doesn’t turn around.
My (hopeful) score prediction: LA Kings 4, Sharks 2