Los Angeles Kings @ Anaheim Ducks (Honda Center)
Time: 7:00 PM PST
TV: Prime Ticket, NHL Network
Radio: KABC 790, I Heart Radio
Enemy Reading: Anaheim Calling
Lineups:
Los Angeles Kings:
Lucic–Kopitar–O’Neill
Pearson–Carter–Toffoli
Clifford–Andreoff–Lewis
Mersch–Weal–Brown
Muzzin–Martinez
McNabb–McBain
Gravel–Forbort
Quick–Enroth
Anaheim Ducks (updated):
Sekac–Getzlaf–Stewart
Ritchie–Rakell–Noesen
Maroon–Kerdiles–Friberg
Cramarossa–Horcoff–Jackman
Fowler–Manson
Megna–Bieksa
O’Brien–Vatanen
Andersen
Game Notes:
- No Bob & Jim. No Perry or Kesler to boo. No reason go on.
- Offseason acquisitions Bieksa, Stewart, and Horcoff make their Ducks debuts. Anaheim Calling suggests that Stewart might end up fitting well with Getzlaf-Perry.
- Not sure if we’ll see top Anaheim prospects Shea Theodore or Nick Ritchie, but they appear to have shown well in their last preseason game against Colorado:
5v5 shots, Ducks +5% at Avalanche. pic.twitter.com/3sBUyeLADp
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) September 23, 2015
- Los Angeles continues to take a long look at O’Neill, Andreoff, Mersch, Weal, and Forbort. They’re the only Kings to have played in all three exhibitions so far. The four forwards have impressed. FWIW, Shore and Auger, who had played in the first two games, are out of the lineup tonight. Also, this will be Gravel’s second preseason game.
- More FWIW: This is Weal’s third straight game at center. Andreoff goes back to center after spending the last exhibition at Weal’s wing. And as we try to piece together the Kings’ defensive pairings after Doughty-Muzzin, tonight we see Martinez, McNabb, and Forbort play different sides than they had earlier in the preseason.
- That 70’s Line is in full effect with Carter’s preseason debut. This is the first time they’ve played in a game together since that bleeping night against Winnipeg last January. This is also the first time most of us will get to see if Pearson has fully recovered from season-ending ankle surgery. Early returns are promising, as Tanner notched three assists against the Coyotes in Bakersfield, but Sutter cautioned today, “He’s only played 15 minutes, so we’ll evaluate it in a week.”
- Also, look out for a slimmer, fitter Quick in his preseason debut. This is how I imagine every Jonathan Quick training session goes: