Preview: Game Day #59, Red Wings @ Kings

Detroit Red Wings @ Los Angeles Kings (Staples Center)

Time: 7:30 PM PST

TV: Fox Sports West

Enemy Reading: Winging it in Motown

Los Angeles Kings

Gaborik–Kopitar–Brown
King–Carter–Toffoli
Lewis–Stoll–Williams
Clifford–Shore–Nolan
Regehr–Doughty
Muzzin–Greene
McNabb–McBain
Quick
(Jones)
Scratched: Forbort, Andreoff; Injured: Pearson, Martinez; Suspended: Voynov

Detroit Red Wings

Tatar–Datsyuk–Helm
Nyquist–Sheahan–Abdelkader
Miller–Glendening–Jurco
Cleary–Weiss–Pulkkinen
Kronwall–Ericsson
Dekeyser–Kindl
Smith–Marchenko
Gustavsson
Howard

Scratched: Andersson; Injured: Zetterberg, Quincey, Franzen

Notes:

• I can't be the only one who realizes how appropriate it is that LA will try to get their eighth win against the team which throws octopus on the ice, right?
• The Kings' last win against Detroit: February 27, 2013. It was a Wednesday Night Rivalry (!) which featured what I'd call a top-ten career goal for Anze Kopitar:
• Since then, Detroit has switched conferences, LA has one another Cup, the off-the-netting rules have been changed, and... neither lineup has really changed all that much, actually. Here's to stability.
• LA catches a break as Henrik Zetterberg remains out of the lineup. He was the victim of a punch to the head from Jamie Benn on Saturday.
• #1 Star of the Week Jonathan Quick starts his 15th game in a row, which is as much a reflection on the schedule (no back-to-backs so far in 2015) as on his recent excellent form. The Kings play on Thursday and Friday, though, so Quick may actually get a night off soon.
• I've resigned myself to the reality that Detroit is never going to miss the playoffs again.
• Happy Legends Night, Tony Granato! He's an assistant coach with Detroit now. Convenient.
  
• PREDICTION: I get more worked up over this game than I usually do.