The Kings look to build on their strong win over the Winnipeg Jets with a matinee matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.
Look Back at the Last Meeting
The Kings took the first game of the Freeway Faceoff back in October, skating to a 4-1 win over their SoCal rival. Adrian Kempe kicked off the scoring early in the 3rd, with Alex Laferriere netting the game-winner just 5 minutes later. LA outshot the Ducks 36-14, with David Rittich getting the win.
Key Points against the Ducks
1. Portillo Time
It's finally time. After spending parts of the last two weeks backing up David Rittich, 24-year-old Swedish goaltender Erik Portillo is expected to make his NHL debut today. The second-year pro is 4-2-0 across 6 games in the AHL this year, carrying a save percentage of .906 and a goals against average of 2.68. Portillo had a slow start to the year due to an illness, which hurt his numbers early on. In his two most recent wins, Portillo put up save percentage numbers of .958 and .971. Excited to see LA's hopeful starter of the future get his first taste of NHL action. More on Portillo found here.
2. Play a full 60 minutes again
The Kings put together arguably their most complete 60-minute effort on Wednesday, which was shown in both the shot total and score. The Kings were able to strike early, add to their lead in the 2nd, and close it out without problem in the 3rd. On top of the 29-shot difference, the Kings outhit the Jets 32-18 and won 52% of the faceoffs on the night. Kings can build on a strong performance in a building where they have had a ton of recent success.
3. Importance on the Shots Counts
The Kings held the Jets to just 14 shots on goal, something that has become a bit of a trend as of late for the Kings. The Kings have not allowed more than 21 shots over their last 5 contests and lead the NHL in least shots allowed per game at just 24. On the other side, the Ducks allow more shots than any team in hockey, with an average of 34.19 per game. The Kings have been solid in games in which they generate 30 or more shots, with a record of 5-2-2.
Jim Hiller switched things up heavily on Wednesday against Winnipeg. No morning skate considering the early puck drop, but we do not expect any changes for the LA lineup.
Tonight’s @LAKings Line Rushes -
— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) November 28, 2024
Foegele – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Byfield – Jeannot
Turcotte – Danault – Lewis
Fiala – Helenius – Laferriere
Anderson – Gavrikov
Edmundson – Clarke
Moverare – Spence
Rittich
Portillo
A Look Across the Ice at the Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are coming off a 5-2 win against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, placing them with a .500 record of 9-9-3. John Gibson stopped 42 of 44 in the win, continuing his strong play after returning from IR. We will highlight the elite play of the Ducks goalie tandem later on. Below is how Anaheim lined up against the Kraken:
Here's who we fly with tonight. Leo Carlsson is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. pic.twitter.com/TgixdIgUdy
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) November 28, 2024
Leo Carlsson missed Wednesday's game for Anaheim due to an upper-body injury. There is no update on the Ducks' leading scorers' availability for today as of now. Cam Fowler and Robby Fabbri have both been out since mid-November and will not play. In goal, the Ducks tandem of Dostal and Gibson has posted some of the best numbers in the league. Both are options for today's game.
Todays game is scheduled for 12:30 PST, with the pregame show beginning at noon PST. An audio-only feed is available on the ESPN LA App.