Game Preview – Kings vs Ducks

Last game of the season between the Kings and Ducks. It’s almost sad, isn’t it? No? You’re right! It’s not sad its fricken awesome because we beat the pants off those fowl smelling Ducks 4 out of the 5 times we played so far. Tonight we meet at the Ponda and intend to crush their dismal playoff chance dreams. With 12 games left to the season, the Ducks would pretty much have to win them all and have a couple of teams above them drop in the standing in order to make the playoffs. I’m happy they will not be able to accomplish that. I’m still smarting about last season when they jumped us right at the end to take our place and we ended up with a 1st round playoff exit. I know, I know, if we played better, if we had won more games, etc. etc. But this season has been tough. I’ve grown thicker skin. I’m not as nice as I was 70 games ago. I want to win.

 

With all the talk about winning and playoff chances for the Kings, we are stuck in 11th place right now. Two points behind San Jose and Calgary who are tied with 80. We really really want to win tonight and we really really want Calgary to lose. Its times like these I look back and wish we had a win instead of an OT loss on all those games mid season that we blew. It really comes back to haunt you at the end doesn’t it? Ducks have 71 to our 78 points. We do not need them creeping up on us these next three weeks.

I know we tease about Sutter never playing Bernier, but over in Anaheim, Brodeur is playing Hiller for his 31st consecutive game tonight. That’s gotta wear a bit thin on him. Hiller played well last game against the Wings but he has to be tired and sore. We need to keep up on him in the offensive zone shelling the Ducks. You bet that will get us 2 points! Quick is in goal for us tonight and the linup is the same with Drewiski, Richardson and Westgarth healthy scratches. Perry and Sbisa have been out the past two games for the Ducks and we will have to wait and see if they play tonight. I’d say if Perry can, he will be in the lineup.

A Few Notes:

• Kings have a 37.9% chance of making the playoffs (this will increase after the weekend)
• Kopitar has four goals and five assists in his last eight games.
• The Kings improved to 17-12-4 at Staples Center, 26-5-6 when scoring the first goal, 16-2-2 when leading after the first period and 24-0-3 when leading after the second period.
• Carter has five goals and two assists in nine games with the Kings.
• Brown has five goals and 14 assists in his last nine games.

 

# 23 Brown– # 11 Kopitar –  # 14 Williams

# 74 King– # 10 Richards – # 77 Carter

# 25 Penner –  # 28 Stoll – # 22 Lewis

# 13 Clifford– # 24 Fraser – # 71 Nolan

# 7 Scuderi – # 8 Doughty

# 33 Mitchell – # 26 Voynov

# 27 Martinez –# 22 Greene

# 32 Quick

# 45 Bernie

Anaheim Ducks

#9 Bobby Ryan – #15 Ryan Getzlaf - #51 Kyle Palmieri
#7 Andrew Cogliano - #11 Saku Koivu - #8 Teemu Selanne
#33 Jason Blake – #63 Nick Bonino - #39 Matt Beleskey
#12 Niklas Hagman - #14 Rod Pelley - #77 Devante Smith-Pelly

#4 Cam Fowler – #23 Francois Beauchemin
#32 Toni Lydman - #21 Sheldon Brookbank
#17 Lubomir Visnovsky - #34 Nate Guenin

#1 Jonas Hiller
#43 Jeff Deslauriers

Go Kings Go!