Preview: Game Day #78, Avalanche @ Kings
Five games to go.
Colorado Avalanche @ Los Angeles Kings (Staples Center)
Time: 7:00 PM PST
TV: Fox Sports West, SportsNet, Altitude
Enemy Reading: Mile High Hockey
Lineups:
Los Angeles Kings
Gaborik–Kopitar–Williams
King–Carter–Toffoli
Brown–Stoll–Lewis
Clifford–Shore–Nolan
Muzzin–Doughty
Regehr–Martinez
McNabb–Greene
Quick
(Jones)
Scratched: Richards, McBain, Andreoff; Injured: Pearson, Sekera; Suspended: Voynov
Colorado Avalanche
Mitchell–Duchene–Iginla
Landeskog–O'Reilly–Tanguay
McLeod–Cliche– Everberg
Caron–Hamilton–Hishon
Guenin–Barrie
Hejda–Redmond
Stuart–Holden
Varlamov
(Berra)
Scratched: None; Injured: MacKinnon, Briere, Winchester, Wilson, Johnson, McGinn, Rendulic, Bordeleau
(top three seeds in Pacific Division, top two seeds in Wild Card qualify for playoffs)
Game Notes:
- When was the last time LA played a game in which they were only the second-most desperate team? Colorado probably is getting eliminated regardless of whether they win or lose (Calgary's got Edmonton tonight, ugh), but considering a regulation loss takes them out, they'll go all out tonight.
- Semyon Varlamov starts against LA for the second time this year; in the first, he was wildly outplayed by Jonathan Quick, who stopped 42 of 43 shots on February 18.
- The Avs are coming off a win over Anaheim last night; they were outshot 37-23, but got two-point nights from Matt Duchene, Dennis Everberg, and Tyson Barrie.
- Barrie's two assists were rather noteworthy, as they got him to 51 points for the season. He's the fourth Avs defenseman to crack the half-century mark in a seasn; the last one to do it before him had his number retired earlier this year.
- Jarret Stoll and Brayden McNabb returned to the lineup on Thursday, and both put in decent showings! Stoll and McNabb tied for the team lead in score-close Corsi, along with Matt Greene (McNabb's partner). Stoll also had an assist.
- Mike Richards sits again.
- Fun fact from Jon Rosen's preview: Jeff Carter has 13 points in 14 games vs. Colorado. 12 of those 13 points are goals.
- In reality, Colorado has no chance to make the playoffs. Do they know it? Regardless, it'll be a stiffer test than the Oilers offered on Thursday. (Poor Scrivens, and yes, poor Bunz.)
- By the way, Winnipeg beat Vancouver today, which is annoying for LA's overall playoff push but makes the Pacific Division interesting if both the Flames and Kings triumph tonight.
- PREDICTION: The Kings manage to win with fewer than eight goals.
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