Riding high after a comeback win over the visiting Panthers on Sunday, the Kings now face a tall task with the incoming Colorado Avalanche.
Pacific Division standings
3.14.2022It's pretty early in the morning, so we'll do the math for you…
LA on pace for 100 points
Kings week ahead:
Tue vs. COL
Thu vs. SJ
Sat @ VGK pic.twitter.com/lEJNo0T0iD— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) March 14, 2022
Despite sitting in second place in the Pacific Division Standings — and being on pace for a 100-point season — LA is about to take on one of the top team’s favored to win this year’s Stanley Cup.
And they’ll also get to see a familiar face from SoCal, as the Ducks traded Josh Manson to the Avs on Monday. He’s expected to join his new team in time for warmups too.
Josh Manson will make his #Avs debut tonight, per a source. There’s no morning skate, so his first time on the ice with the team will be pregame warmups.
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) March 15, 2022
Meanwhile over on the LA blueline, they’ll be looking to counter with a group of six players who weren’t even in the lineup on Kings opening night back in October.
Strand, Spence, Durzi, Maatta also on the ice early.
— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) March 15, 2022
To recap LA Kings morning skate defensive pairings…
Moverare – Strand
Wolanin – Durzi
Maatta – Spence
Edler/Doughty— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) March 15, 2022
Danault not present for LA Kings morning skate. Vets often skip, so no concern just yet.
Lias Andersson added to the "top six" group of Kopitar, Kempe, Kaliyev, Iafallo, Moore.
— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) March 15, 2022
Todd McLellan later confirmed Daunalt will skate tonight, as suggested.
Jonathan Quick is planned to once again get the start. He earned the W on Monday and will look to claim back-to-back wins. Back in January, Quick took a home loss vs. Colorado.
For more on the Doughty, Edler, Björnfot injury situations, see the Mayor’s Minutes segment linked below.
LA KINGS PROJECTED LINEUP vs. COLORADO AVALANCHE
Iafallo – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Kaliyev
Kupari – Byfield – Vilardi
Grundstrom – Lizotte – Frk
Other options: Andersson
IR: Arvidsson, Brown, Lemieux
Maatta – Spence
Wolanin – Durzi
Moverare – Strand
Other options: Bjornfot, Roy
IR: Anderson, Doughty, Edler
Quick (starter)
Petersen
KINGS DAILY QUESTION
N/A
Although we don’t have a question today, here are a pair of Kings-Avs connections:
Colorado assistant coach Ray Bennett spent seven years as an assistant coach for the Kings (1999-2006)… LA defenseman Christian Wolanin is the son of Craig Wolanin, who was on the Avs’ Stanley Cup team in 1996.
VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE
UPDATED: Avalanche acquires Minnesota forward Nico Sturm for Tyson Jost in straight-up trade https://t.co/N3FxwTdDs3 via @denverpost
— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) March 15, 2022
Tonight’s Avs lineup is not confirmed, as they didn’t skate this morning.
Last time out they went with:
Nichushkin – MacKinnon – Rantanen
Newhook – Kadri – Burakovsky
Jost * – Compher – O’Connor
Helm – Aube-Kubel
Toews – Makar
E. Johnson – J. Johnson
MacDermid – Murray
Kuemper
Francouz
* Jost is out now And the assumption is, Manson goes in for Murray.
Key Colorado Injuries: Gabriel Landeskog (knee surgery), Samuel Girard (lower-body injury), and Bowen Byram (inactive).
KINGS MILESTONES WITHIN REACH
Anze Kopitar — needs 19 points to pass Dave Taylor for third on the Kings all-time scoring list
Dustin Brown — 4 goals away from passing Bernie Nicholls for fifth place in Kings franchise history
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30pm PST today and the game will be televised on Bally Sports Network.
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