Los Angeles Kings @ Anaheim Ducks
Time: 6:00 Pacific
TV: Fox Sports West
Enemy Reading: Anaheim Calling
Los Angeles Kings
Lucic-Kopitar-Toffoli
King-Carter-Pearson
Lewis-Lecavalier-Gaborik
Andreoff-Shore-Brown
McNabb-Doughty
Muzzin-Martinez
Ehrhoff-Schenn
Quick
(Enroth)
Scratched: Nolan, McBain Injured: Clifford
Anaheim Ducks
RAKELL-GETZLAF-PERRY
HAGELIN-KESLER-SILFVERBERG
MAROON-HORCOFF-COGLIANO
SANTORELLI-THOMPSON-SEKAC
LINDHOLM-MANSON
VATANEN-BIEKSA
THEODORE-STONER
GIBSON
(KHUDOBIN)
Stats & Such
(Fancy stats courtesy War on Ice)
| Team | Ducks | Kings |
| Record | 19-17-7 | 27-13-3 |
| Points | 45 | 57 |
| Division Rank | 5th | 1st |
| Streak | Won 2 | Lost 1 |
| Goals For/Game | 1.95 | 2.63 |
| Goals Against/Game | 2.33 | 2.21 |
| ES Goal % | 42.6 | 52.4 |
| ES Shot % | 53.5 | 54.3 |
| ES PDO | 97.2 | 99.5 |
| ES Corsi % | 53.8 | 56.2 |
| ES Fenwick % | 54.0 | 55.9 |
| ES Scoring Chance % | 52.6 | 55.4 |
| ES High-Danger SC % | 53.6 | 54.0 |
| Power Play % (Rank) | 20.0 (11th) | 20.6 (7th) |
| Penalty Kill % (Rank) | 89.4 (1st) | 81.8 (11th) |
| Starting Goalie (today) | Gibson | Quick |
| Goalie Record | 9-6-2 | 24-10-2 |
| Save % | .926 | .922 |
| ES Save % | .925 | .933 |
Notes:
- As Anaheim Calling notes, the Kings haven’t beaten the Ducks in regulation in a regular season game at the Honda Center since the lockout-shortened 2013 season. They didn’t win at all in Anaheim in 2014-15, so the process of elimination should help you determine that the Kings haven’t beaten the Ducks in the OC since a rather notable Game 7.
- Most bragging rights from that game faded away last year, though, as Anaheim won the division and LA missed the playoffs. The roles are reversed at this point, but let’s be honest, the Ducks aren’t missing the playoffs. They’ve been terrific lately, going 7-2-1 in their last ten with sky-high possession numbers to boot. They’re still at a -16 goal differential this season, but their putrid goalscoring has improved in January.
- The newest Ducks are David Perron and Adam Clendening; the latter is a 23-year-old fringe defenseman, the former is a guy who really hates Jonathan Quick. Interestingly, Glendening was a piece that went to Pittsburgh in the Nick Bonino trade; Bonino, of course, was a Duck until 2014-15.
- The Ducks also recalled Anton Khudobin from the AHL to back up “best goaltender in the world” John Gibson, as Frederik Andersen isn’t quite healthy.
- Will there be changes to the LA lineup? Probably. Do we know them? Nope! There were no line rushes this morning. I’d expect Jonathan Quick to start again, as he’s earned both the first Ducks start of the year and a shot at bouncing back from yesterday’s third period disaster.
- A team disaster, I should note. I kind of like the Kings being mad going into the Ponda.
- What else to note about the Ducks? Corey Perry has 17 goals, while no one else has more than 8. Getzlaf can match Anze Kopitar’s 24 assists but only has three scores to show for it. Gibson sports a sparkling .926 SV% this season. Their PK is exceptional. And Cam Fowler is still out, so the Ducks have compensated by giving Hampus Lindholm and Kevin Bieksa lots of minutes. One of them has been great, and one of them is Kevin Bieksa.
- This should be entertaining.
- PREDICTION: David Perron and Jonathan Quick scuffle at least once, probably twice.