Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Anaheim Ducks ended a four-game losing streak yesterday in a wild game against the Colorado Avalanche. There is no time to celebrate as the Ducks play the second of back-to-back games on the road against cross-town rival Los Angeles Kings.
Season Series: 2-0-1
Last Match up: 3-0 (January 25th, 2014)
The last time these two teams met was back in January at the first ever Stadium Series game in California. The game was played at Dodger Stadium in front of over 50,000 fans. It was a great game, especially for Ducks fans. Corey Perry got on the board early, scoring in the opening minutes. Matt Beleskey would score minutes later as the Ducks took a 2-0 lead in the first period and never looked back. The Ducks would eventually win 3-0 with Jonas Hiller “pitching” a shutout.
Keys to the Game:
Special Teams
1. The Ducks have been struggling on the penalty kill, giving up four power play goals in the last two games.
2. The power play looked better last night, but the team still did not score.
1. The Kings do the most damage when they establish the cycle and keep the pressure in the offensive zone.
2. Most teams are only scoring two goals on average against the Kings. They must limit the Ducks offense.
Players to Watch:
Kyle Palmieri scored two goals yesterday on the same shift. Perry scored again yesterday and is only four goals away from reaching 40 for the season.
Martin Jones has a goal against average of less than two goals a game. Anze Kopitar has 21 goals, leads the team in +/- and power play goals.
Starting Goalies:
Frederik Andersen: 15-4-0 2.28 GAA .922 SV%
Martin Jones: 10-4-0 1.84 GAA .933 SV%
The Kings have come out on a mission since the Olympic break. They have won eight of their last nine games. The Kings had won eight in a row before losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Mar. 13. The Kings currently sit in the third position in the Pacific Division. With the new playoff system in place this year, it is highly likely the Kings will play the San Jose Sharks or the Ducks in the first round. It will be interesting to see how the three California teams do down the stretch. After tonight, the Ducks will face the Kings and Sharks one more time each before the playoffs.
Team Stats:
44-16-7, 95 points (Last 10: 4-4-2)
38-23-6, 82 Points (Last 10: 8-2-0)
This is a momentum builder for the Ducks. The Sharks and Ducks are tied for first in the Pacific Division. The Sharks and Kings have been on a roll. The Ducks need to keep winning if they want to win the Pacific Division again this year and avoid a first round match-up against the Kings.
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