Let’s call it Take 2.
LA’s return to action this week didn’t provide the results they were looking for coming out of the break, so they’ll try again tonight against a Vancouver team that defeated the Ducks in overtime on Wednesday.
Prior to the Ontario Reign playing yesterday, Jaret Anderson-Dolan (who played vs. Vegas) and a few other players were returned to the AHL. Then, in advance of an optional morning skate, the Kings made a few additional roster moves:
Danault on the ice for morning skate, and a few roster moves to give LA some extra bodies for tonight…
Vladimir Tkachev and Jacob Moverare have been recalled from AHL Ontario.
Also, Quinton Byfield has been activated and assigned to the Reign.
— John Hoven | The Mayor (@mayorNHL) December 30, 2021
Neither Quick or Doughty are skating. Nothing to panic over. Morning skate appears more of an optional skate, which has been a frequent occurrence on game days this season.
— John Hoven | The Mayor (@mayorNHL) December 30, 2021
Fwds on the ice: Kopitar, Kempe, Arvidsson, Danault, Grundstrom, Kaliyev, Turcotte, Lizotte, Lemieux, Tkachev
Again, optional. #WaitForTheSong
— John Hoven | The Mayor (@mayorNHL) December 30, 2021
Now the real fun begins. How will coach Todd McLellan piece it all together?
Under normal circumstances, players who remain on the ice after a skate are a good indication of who will sit out that night. If we’ve learned anything in 2021, these are anything but normal times.
With Jacob Moverare, Lias Andersson, Brenden Lemieux, and Vladimir Tkachev sticking around for ‘post-skate’ work, that could be just the indication needed to guestimate McLellan’s lineup.
Here’s the wrinkle, though. Dustin Brown was placed into protocol on December 26. Even with the NHL’s new reduced protocol timeframe, he’s still ineligible for tonight’s game. Thus — assuming Alex Iafallo draws in, after being absent this morning — only one of Andersson, Lemieux, or Tkachev needs to play to round out the list of 12 forwards.
From what we’ve been able to gather, Tkachev won’t play tonight (which also makes sense, as he played last night in Bakersfield). Flip a coin and take your pick, it’s either Andersson or Lemieux.
LA KINGS PROJECTED LINEUP vs. VANCOUVER CANUCKS on 12/30
OPTION A
Kempe – Kopitar – Iafallo
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Kupari – Turcotte – Grundstrom
Lemieux – Lizotte – Kaliyev
OPTION B
Kempe – Kopitar – Arvidsson
Iafallo – Danault – Andersson
Moore – Turcotte – Kaliyev
Kupari – Lizotte – Grundstrom
Other options: Tkachev, plus one of Andersson / Lemeiux
IR: Athanasiou
Protocol: Brown
Anderson – Doughty
Wolanin – Roy
Bjornfot – Durzi
Other options: Moverare
Protocol: Maatta
Quick (starter)
Petersen
On the Vancouver side of things:
The two teams last met up on December 6, in what was Bruce Boudreau’s Canucks coaching debut. Vancouver shutout LA 4-0 that night.
They arrive at Crypto.com Arena coming off a 2-1 win over the Ducks in Anaheim last night – meaning the Canucks will be pushing for their eighth straight victory on Thursday.
Boudreau has already committed to his goalie for tonight (a former Long Beach Ice Dog netmider!), we’ll have to see if he offers up any other changes to his lineup from last night:
https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1476632531571142672
https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1476392528886730752
The Vancouver Canucks announced today that forward Justin Dowling has been placed into the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.
— Canucks PR (@CanucksPR) December 30, 2021
KINGS MILESTONES WITHIN REACH
Anze Kopitar – needs 42 points to pass Dave Taylor for third on the Kings all-time scoring list
Dustin Brown — 8 goals away from passing Bernie Nicholls for fifth place in Kings franchise history
Drew Doughty — 13 games away from playing in his 1,000th NHL regular season game
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 pm PST tonight and the game will be on Bally Sports Network.
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