Los Angeles Kings @ New Jersey Devils (Prudential Center)
Time: 4:00 PM PST
TV: Fox Sports West, NHL Network, SportsNet
Enemy Reading: In Lou We Trust
Projected Lineups:
Los Angeles Kings
Gaborik–Kopitar–Williams
King–Carter–Toffoli
Clifford–Richards–Lewis
Nolan–Shore–Brown
Muzzin–Doughty
Regehr–Sekera
Martinez–Greene
Quick
(Jones)
Scratched: McBain, McNabb, Shore; Injured: Pearson, Stoll; Suspended: Voynov
New Jersey Devils
Henrique–Gomez–Bernier
Cammalleri–Zajac–Tootoo
Zubrus–Elias–Gionta
Ruutu–Josefson–Harrold
Greene–Larsson
Merrill–Severson
Fraser–Gelinas
Schneider
Kinkaid
Scratched: Havlat, Ryder, Boucher, Matteau; Injured: Salvador, Clowe
[UPDATED, 4:00 PM]
Game Notes:
- Mike Richards is in! At third-line center, which is pretty much exactly where he should be.
- The rest of the lineup, especially at the bottom, has NOT been confirmed by any means. Jon Rosen has one potential look, with Andy Andreoff sitting and Alec Martinez remaining scratched. I’m giving you a potential alternate look; Richards straight in for Nick Shore, Martinez in for Brayden McNabb.
- The job has gotten tougher for Los Angeles, though third-place Calgary is still very much within striking distance, and LA is unlikely to lose the tiebreaker to Winnipeg if they end up tied.
- (Read about Calgary’s upcoming four-games-in-seven-days stretch, which is only slightly easier than LA’s, right here.)
- LA has only played one game in New Jersey since the 2012 Stanley Cup Final: last season, Ben Scrivens shut out the Devils, with Dwight King getting the third-period winner. (RECAP)
- East Coast roadies haven’t always been a bad thing for LA; for example, that Devils victory in November 2013 was sandwiched in between wins over the Rangers and Islanders. More critical, though, was beating the Flyers, Capitals, and Penguins on March 24, 26, and 27 to essentially lock up a playoff spot last year.
- Today’s player who needs to do something: Dustin Brown, who hasn’t gotten a point in seven games.
- PREDICTION: the Kings win 3-0. Calgary does not.