Los Angeles Kings v Chicago Blackhawks (United Center)
Time: 5.00 PM
TV: TSN2, NBCSN
Enemy reading: Second City Hockey
Blackhawks (projected) lineup:
Saad-Toews-Carcillo??
Hayes-Bolland-Kane
Stalberg-Shaw-Bickell
Bollig-Kruger-Frolik
Keith-Seabrook
Leddy-Brookbank
Hjalmarsson-Oduya
Crawford
Injured: Sharp (shoulder), Hossa (shoulder)
Kings (projected) lineup:
Brown-Kopitar-Williams
Penner-Richards-Carter
King-Lewis-Stoll
Clifford-Fraser-Nolan
Muzzin-Doughty
Scuderi-Voynov
Ellerby-Martinez
Quick
Injured: Greene (back), Mitchell (knee)
Game notes:
- Andrew Shaw wasn’t out for practice this morning and might not be in the lineup tonight. If Shaw is out, I guess Jamal Mayers might play?
- Although the Blackhawks are no longer virtually unbeatable, and they’re dealing with a pair of critical injuries right now to Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp, they’re still 7-3-0 in their last 10. They’re also 11-1-1 at home – I am not a fancystats expert, but that seems pretty good to me.
- This game note was just going to say “Free Tyler Toffoli”, but Dustin Penner apparently stayed out for extra work after practice, so maybe Toffoli has been freed already.
- The Kings are starting off their five-game road trip through most of the soon-to-be “Division B”. It was great to see Jonathan Quick back in good form, but zero goals scored is zero goals scored, and Blackhawks-Blues–Wild might be the most difficult three-game stretch the Kings have faced yet this season.
- Fun with numbers for tonight: the Blackhawks have 51 points in 30 games played, which leads the League. Their goal differential is +36, as opposed to the Kings’ +12. They have 20 ROW, while the Kings have 16. They sit thirteenth in the League with a 19.2% powerplay (essentially equivalent to the Kings), while they are eighth in the League with an 83.3% penalty kill (the Kings are 14 with an 81.7%). Unlike the Kings, they did manage to score two goals in their last game, but they coughed up a lead late to the Anaheim Ducks, and lost 4-2.
- The Kings are going to the White House tomorrow! With the Galaxy, but who cares about them! (I kid.) So, that is pretty cool. Is there anywhere I can place a prop bet on which player President Obama will single out for a hacky nickname-related joke?
- Go Kings Go