In three previous meetings with the Blues this season, the Kings have taken two wins, including a 3-0 victory on Monday in St. Louis. Tonight, they’ll be looking to sweep their second straight series and keep their five-game winning streak going.
Based upon what the Kings were showing at morning skate (and additional intel), things are shaping up as:
LA Kings projected lineup for Game 18 vs. the Blues
Iafallo – Kopitar – Brown
Kempe – Vilardi – Carter
Grundstrom – Lizotte – Moore
Athanasiou – Amadio – Wagner
Anderson – Doughty
Bjornfot – Roy
Maatta – Walker / Strand
Petersen (starter)
Quick
Other players available:
Austin Strand
Kurtis MacDermid
Matt Luff
Not available:
Martin Frk (IR)
Jaret Anderson-Dolan (IR)
Current taxi squad listed as – Rasmus Kupari, Lias Andersson, Drake Rymsha, Boko Imama, and Troy Grosenick.
This article will be updated with quotes from Todd McLellan following his morning media scrum.
McLellan on the Kings improved shooting percentage this season 5v5
Our shot volume is down this year. Pucks just seem to be going in the net for us. I’d like to see our shot volume go up. I don’t give two hoots about the conversion rate or shooting percentage. I want to see our shot volume get up. I think there’s times where we pass up a shooting opportunity and try and make something a little too fancy. Last year, we did that a little bit more. Now that might sound crazy because we’re scoring more, we’re winning more games, whatever it might be. I still think that’s an element that we can put into our game.
On being third in the league in high danger save percentage, and if that’s a reflection of how good Quick and Petersen have been
They both have played real well. We’re still very much a team that’s in evolution. Those type of teams make mistakes. We can make a lot of them in a row. They’re honest mistakes most of the time because we put the effort in, but you need solid goaltending to back you up in those moments. Both have been very good for the most part.
On Roy’s mental approach to being consistent
Matt Roy is an easy or a tough read because it never changes for him. He’s Steady Eddie, I think I’ve used that term a million times. His demeanor doesn’t fluctuate a lot. He does get excited when things go well and he gets a little pissed off when they don’t, but he has a very steady approach to practice, to game, to preparation. I think we would be concerned if we saw him out of character. Most of the time we see him in character, so good for him. I think he just played his 100th game or somewhere in that range, so he’s still relatively a young defenseman that plays quite well and plays important minutes for us.
On Kopitar using the P-word for the first time since training camp
Secretly, we’re in the playoffs right now, aren’t we? We’re in a shortened season, we’re in the race, we’re playing against teams that we’re gonna battle with to the bitter end. It’s not like we’re going out and playing teams out east and whatnot. Every night we’re in the playoffs and it’s really good for our team. What I think Kopi is thinking about right now — and good for him and some of the older players — is the ultimate playoffs, when the league says we start. It’s okay to feel good about that and try and work towards that, that’s what we’re here for. I’m glad they’re thinking that way. I’m glad that they have a belief that they can get there. When we started, we didn’t start just to be okay. We want to get better every night and if we can do that, who knows what can happen.
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