Los Angeles Kings v Winnipeg Jets (MTS Centre)
Time: 5.00 PM
TV: Fox Sports West
Enemy reading: Arctic Ice Hockey
Jets (projected) lineup:
Ladd-Little-Wheeler
Kane-Scheifele-Setoguchi
Tangradi-Jokinen-Frolik
Wright-Slater-Thorburn
Byfuglien-Enstrom
Trouba-Bogosian
Stuart-Postma
Pavelec
Injured: Clitsome; Scratched: some dudes I don’t care about, Matt “Golden Goal” Halischuk
Kings (projected) lineup:
Brown-Kopitar-Williams
Frattin-Richards-Carter
King-Stoll-Lewis
Clifford-Fraser-Nolan
Regehr-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Muzzin-Greene
Quick
Injured: nobody??; Scratched: Carcillo, Martinez, Ellerby
Game notes:
- This is a quick one, because I have a plane to catch. The Kings are in Winnipeg tonight to thrash the Jets, in the loudest/probably most annoying arena in the NHL.
- Real talk: everyone makes like the Jets are terrible, but it’s really just Ondrej Pavelec who is awful. The top six forwards and the top four defencemen are very respectable, and the third line is decent at the very least.
- Jonathan Quick: awesome.
- Jeff Carter: awesome
- Bottom six: terrible. Dustin Brown is likely back up to the top line.
- The Wild outplayed the Kings last night, but the Kings actually out-attempted the Wild at evens (or whatever Robert said). Just some rust that needs to be shaken off, I assume.
- WELCOME BACK BOB MILLER AND JIM FOX!
- It will be interesting to see if Blake Wheeler gets more ice time in this one. He saw just five shifts and 2:41 of ice time in the 3rd period of the Jets’ win at Edmonton. He’s the RW on the Jets’ top line, which has turned into a pretty effective trio in the past year. The other two pieces of that unit are Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little.
- The Kings need to stay out of the box. Although Winnipeg had the worst power play in the league a season ago, they boast a lot of offensive skill. The Kings gave Minnesota five power plays an evening ago. Let’s hope they cut that number by at least a couple.
- The Jets played a very messy game against the Oilers. Could be just what the Kings’ offense needs to wake up.
- Prediction: Kings win 4-3, as they continue towards an undefeated 82-0 season.
- Really, Ondrej Pavelec sucks. He’s going to shut us out for some reason now that I’ve said this, but he sucks.