Los Angeles Kings v Phoenix Coyotes (Staples Center)
Time: 7.30 PM
TV: Fox Sports West
Enemy reading: Five for Howling
Coyotes (projected) lineup:
Boedker-Hanzal-Korpikoski
Sullivan-Vermette-Doan
Gordon-Klinkhammer-Moss
Torres-Lombardi-Bissonnette
Klesla-Ekman-Larsson
Yandle-Morris
Schlemko-Stone
Smith
Injured: Michalek (lower body), Vrbata (foot)
Kings (projected) lineup:
Brown-Kopitar-Williams
Richards-Carter-Toffoli
Lewis-Stoll-King
Clifford-Fraser-Penner
Muzzin-Doughty
Scuderi-Voynov
Martinez-Ellerby
Quick
Injured: Greene (back), Mitchell (knee)
Game notes:
- I was pretty out of it for most of the game, but Tyler Toffoli wasn’t bad on Saturday, I thought. And maybe Robert can correct me with some fancystats, but Dustin Penner looked pretty good on the fourth line. I’d like to see him back on the third, with Dwight King on the fourth, but for now, this seems like an okay experiment to me.
- There are some minor personnel changes on the Coyotes’ side since the last game these two teams played: a healthy Matt Lombardi draws in, and Zbynek Michalek’s injury shifts Rotislav Klesla up to the first pairing beside Oliver Ekman-Larsson. I’d make a joke here about how much money OEL is about to make soon, but Drew Doughty still hasn’t scored a goal.
- For some talk about the Quick/Bernier situation, see Niesy’s post on the issue.
- Alec Martinez’s play continues to be a bit of a horror show, but he’s still getting back into game shape from his injury. If he’s still this shaky by the end of this homestand, I will be a bit concerned, but he is showing signs of improvement – enough, at least, to stay in the lineup for tonight, I think.
- Something I was impressed by on Saturday: the Kings took only two minor penalties (plus the Toffoli hook that led to the Wingels penalty shot). They played a nicely disciplined game against the Sharks, which a)they don’t usually do against the Sharks and b)was convenient, given that the penalty kill is currently abysmal. If I ever have some spare time, I’m going to look at the Kings’ penalties for/against ratio in-division versus out-of-division, because I feel like this team falls apart much more frequently against other Pacific teams.
- Although, I guess I would also be enraged if Raffi Torres scored on my team. So don’t let that happen again.
- Just like last time, the Coyotes are two points back of the Kings with one more game played. They’re 5-4-1 in their last 10, and 3-6-3 on the road.
The Kings are a slightly dismal 5-8-1 at home, but hey – what better time to fix that than starting right now.The Kings are 10-2-1 at home, so just disregard everything I say because apparently I can’t read. - PDO stuff. Long story short: Kings good, Coyotes average.
- Go Kings Go