Montreal Canadiens @ Los Angeles Kings
Time: 7:30 Pacific
TV: Fox Sports West, RDS, SNE
Enemy Reading: Eyes on the Prize
Los Angeles Kings
Lucic-Kopitar-Toffoli
Pearson-Carter-Versteeg
Brown-Lecavalier-Lewis
King-Shore-Clifford
Scuderi-Doughty
Muzzin-Martinez
McNabb-Schenn
Quick
(Enroth)
Injured: Gaborik, Greene, Nolan Scratched: McBain, Andreoff
Montreal Canadiens
Pacioretty-Plekanec-Gallagher
Galchenyuk- Eller-McCarron
Matteau-De La Rose-Brown
Byron-Danault-Mitchell
Markov-Subban
Emelin-Pateryn
Ellis-Barberio
Scrivens
(Condon)
Injured: Carr, Desharnais, Flynn, Gilbert, Petry, Price, Beaulieu Scratched: Bartley, Andrighetto, Lessio
Stats & Such
(Fancy stats courtesy War on Ice)
| Team | Kings | Canadiens |
| Record | 37-21-4 | 30-28-6 |
| Points | 78 | 66 |
| Division Rank | 1st (still) | 6th |
| Streak | Lost 1 | Lost 2 |
| Goals For/Game | 2.66 | 2.73 |
| Goals Against/Game | 2.31 | 2.78 |
| ES Goal % | 51.9 | 49.3 |
| ES Shot % | 54.5 | 52.3 |
| ES PDO | 99.3 | 99.1 |
| ES Corsi % | 56.3 | 52.4 |
| ES Fenwick % | 55.9 | 52.0 |
| ES Scoring Chance % | 54.5 | 49.8 |
| ES High-Danger SC % | 54.1 | 50.7 |
| Power Play % (Rank) | 22.0 (5th) | 17.6 (20th) |
| Penalty Kill % (Rank) | 81.3 (15th) | 83.9 (5th) |
| Starting Goalie (today) | Quick | Scrivens |
| Goalie Record | 31-16-3 | 3-5-0 |
| Save % | .920 | .901 |
| ES Save % | .931 | .920 |
Notes:
- Regardless of your feelings on any of the trades, line shuffles, scratches, or players… that’s actually a pretty darn good fourth line.
- This is the benefit, I suppose, of acquiring Vincent Lecavalier and Kris Versteeg. If Marian Gaborik does indeed return in time to contribute in the playoffs and LA has magical injury luck, their depth is going to be a massive asset.
- As for the defense… Alec Martinez has to be utterly thrilled to be back with Jake Muzzin. With #6, he’s got a 56.1% Corsi For%. Without #6, that drops all the way to 46.8%. Interestingly, the Goals For % for Martinez hovers around 60% whether or not he is with Muzzin, so I guess this just means he’ll be a little less stressed.
- Drew Doughty, on the other hand… who knows? Scuderi was his primary partner in 2011-12, and they combined for a Goals For% of 48.4% at 5-on-5, but with a Corsi For% of 54.7%. The next season, that Corsi For% held steady at 54.1, but their Goals For% was an astonishing 21.1%. In 192 minutes, they were on for only four goals for and gave up 15 goals. That was largely bad luck, but that was also with Good Rob Scuderi. He ain’t the same now, but if this pair puts up a 54% Corsi For% it’ll be terrific news for the Kings.
- Montreal blew a third-period lead against Anaheim last night, which was inevitable. They then lost in a shootout, which was even more inevitable, especially after Lars Eller missed this open net in overtime.
- The one point they did earn is a mere continuation of their point-per-game pace in February. LA had the exact same pace in February.
- Last season, the Kings won a thriller at Staples thanks to a late Marian Gaborik equalizer and a rare shootout win. We don’t have Gaborik tonight, but the Canadiens don’t have Dustin Tokarski! (Or Carey Price, for that matter, but he didn’t face the Kings in that game.)
- Instead, it’s Ben Scrivens, and oh my god we’re totally going to lose this game, aren’t we?
- … I’m keeping the faith. It’s really easy to forget that LA won four in a row before Anaheim.
- PREDICTION: Kings 5, Canadiens 1.