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Preview, Game Day #40: Maple Leafs @ Kings

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Los Angeles Kings

Time: 7:30 Pacific

TV: Fox Sports West, Sportsnet Ontario

Enemy Reading: Pension Plan Puppets

Los Angeles Kings

Lucic-Kopitar-Toffoli
Pearson-Carter-Gaborik
King-Lewis-Brown
Andreoff-Shore-Nolan

McNabb-Doughty
Muzzin-Martinezy
Ehrhoff-McBain

Quick
(Enroth)

Scratched: Mersch, Lecavailer, Schenn Injured: Clifford

Toronto Maple Leafs
Grabner-Kadri-Komarov
Van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Parenteau
Winnik-Arcobello-Lupul
Matthias-Holland-Boyes

Hunwick-Rielly
Gardiner-Phaneuf
Marincin-Polak

Reimer
(Bernier)

Injured: Froese, Corrado, Sparks, Spaling, Robidas

Stats & Such
(Fancy stats courtesy War on Ice)

Team Maple Leafs Kings
Record 16-15-7 25-12-2
Points 39 52
Division Rank 7th 1st
Streak Won 3 Lost 1
Goals For/Game 2.71 2.69
Goals Against/Game 2.71 2.23
ES Goal % 51.2 53.0
ES Shot % 49.1 53.7
ES PDO 100.6 99.8
ES Corsi % 50.4 55.8
ES Fenwick % 49.8 55.3
ES Scoring Chance % 51.6 55.1
ES High-Danger SC % 54.2 52.6
Power Play % (Rank) 18.6 (17th) 20.2 (8th)
Penalty Kill % (Rank) 80.0 (16th) 81.7 (9th)
Starting Goalie (tonight) Reimer Quick
Goalie Record 7-4-4 22-9-1
Save % .936 .923
ES Save % .955 .933

Notes:

  • This will probably be a quick one because it’s a little later than usual, I’m already exhausted, and I haven’t even started this thing yet. If you want to read me write a lot of words (5700!!) can I interest you in a Dragon Gate article? No? Okay.
  • So as far as the Kings lineup goes, it looks like the new ex-Flyers aren’t going to make it in time to play tonight. Forbort and Weal both exit the healthy scratches portion of our lineup as Forbort was sent to Ontario and Weal was sent to, uh, basically hell. Greene exits the injured part of the lineup simply because Lombardi confirmed he’s out for the rest of the year, so not much point in telling you he’s missing each game due to injury for the next 42 games. But Jeff Carter looks to be entering the lineup after missing 5 games, so that’s obviously some good news.
  • The opponents tonight are a much-improved Toronto squad (they’re above 50% in Corsi! holy crap!) who have won their past 3 games, including a four-nuthin’ thumpin’ of the Anaheim Ducks last night. Hopefully the Kings catching them on the second-half of a road back-to-back will help them put a stop to that win streak.
  • It sounds like James Reimer could make his first start since early December tonight, returning from injury. If not one would expect they’d start Bernier on back-to-back nights, as he’s been much better than his earlier form (he’s won 6 of his last 8 starts). Remember his very first win of the season came against- you guessed it- the Kings, in December.
  • PREDICTION: Kings win 7-0 and Jordan Weal ugly-sobs.

Talking Points