All the LA Kings want for Christmas is a win on home ice.
To say they’ve had problems when playing at Crypto.com Arena this season would be an understatement. No matter the opponent that has come into town, the Kings have not put a complete effort together at home since early December against Colorado. While it may not be time to panic quite yet, it could be soon if coach Todd McLellan and the players can’t figure things out quickly. For a team to be as dominant as they have been on the road (playing .900 hockey) and then struggle so much at home (sub .500) is truly baffling.
Even the power play has those type of crazy splits, being one of the best teams in the league with the man-advantage on the road, only to be dreadful at home.
There is a bright side to all of this, though, which is the Kings have a chance to turn it around tonight when the Flames arrive in LA for a pre-holiday visit. In Calgary’s last two visits to LA, it was the Kings claiming victory (8-2 on Mar. 20, 2023; 4-3 on Dec. 22, 2022).
To the surprise of many, it’s the offense that is at the forefront of the struggles right now. The goaltending has held up well, despite losing Pheonix Copley to LTIR. Ditto for the defense since Vladislav Gavrikov went down with a lower-body injury. Offensively, they simply have not put the puck in the back of the net consistently enough for about a month now.
Two guys who could help those numbers immensely if they get going are Adrian Kempe and PL Dubois. Kempe has just one goal in his last 12 games, while Dubois has summoned one point in his last ten. These proven goal scorers will cash in eventually, and for McLellan, there’s likely no better time than the here and now.
For more on the Dubois situation, this should be mandatory listening:
Great episode of @kingsofthepod The third period has an excellent segment of “what if” that’s a must listen for fans sour on Dubois https://t.co/ni4kd9ZWoY
— John E. K. (@SouthBayJohnny1) December 23, 2023
LA KINGS ROSTER MOVE
Jacob Moverare has once again been recalled for tonight's game. More on that situation shortly.
— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) December 23, 2023
Back to the injury front, Gavrikov was back with the regular group at practice yesterday. However, it does not appear he’s ready to go for tonight, so Jacob Moverare was recalled from the AHL earlier today. It’s a move that makes things tricky for GM Rob Blake.
Stats Worth Knowing:
— Adrian Kempe has eight points (6G, 2A) in his last six games vs. Calgary, dating back to March 31, 2022.
— Defenseman Drew Doughty has also had success against the Flames, accumulating 27 points (5G, 22A) in 54 career games vs. Calgary. Doughty’s 27 points sits tied for third among active NHL defenseman in points vs. Calgary. He can tie Dallas’ Ryan Suter for second-most with two more points.
— Anze Kopitar’s 54 points (20G, 34A) in 65 career games against the Flames is the fourth-most among active skaters behind Joe Pavelski (62 points), Patrick Kane (57) and Leon Draisaitl (55).
— Should Kopitar and Kevin Fiala both collect points tonight, it would mark the first time since the 2005-06 season a pair of Kings players hit the 30-point mark within the team’s first 30 games to start a season. Who did it back then? (answer at the end of this section)
— Blake Lizotte (pictured above) scored his fifth goal and second shorthanded tally of the season on Wednesday night vs. Seattle for his 100th career NHL point (35G, 65A). It was his 11th career shorthanded point. Since entering the league in 2018-19, only Adrian Kempe (12) and Trevor Moore (11) have recorded as many shorthanded points with the Kings.
Answer: Pavol Demitra and Alex Frolov
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Flames
Byfield – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Danault – Moore
Laferriere – Dubois – Kaliyev
Grundstrom – Lizotte – Lewis
Anderson – Doughty
Moverare – Roy
Englund – Spence
Talbot (starter)
Rittich
Likely scratches: Anderson-Dolan, Bjornfot
Injured Reserve: Arvidsson (LTIR), Copley (LTIR), Gavrikov (IR)
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm Pacific Time and will be televised by Bally Sports.
NOTE: Nick Nickson will be an unhealthy scratch for this one.
https://twitter.com/LAKings/status/1738635675652747358
For those live in attendance, the LA Kings Booster Club will offer their popular ‘Puck for a Buck’ contest — featuring Anze Kopitar for this game. Just $1 could win you an autographed puck from an NHL star. Visit their table outside sections 317-318 on the upper concourse for more information.
Across the Ice
Calgary is coming off a 3-0 shutout over Anaheim on Thursday.
Here’s how they lined up for that one:
Projected #Flames lineup at Anaheim (Game 33 of 82). Same as last game! pic.twitter.com/EPt47zBJWd
— Ryan Pike (@RyanNPike) December 22, 2023
The #Flames are 7-5-2 so far in their "gauntlet" run that began after American Thanksgiving, but they're also 12-8-4 since the beginning of November.
— Ryan Pike (@RyanNPike) December 22, 2023
On This Day in Kings History
On December 23, 1991, the @LAKings acquired Corey Millen from the Rangers for Randy Gilhen. In two seasons with the #LAKings, the two-time Olympian scored 43 goals and 80 points in 88 games, and centered the All-American Line alongside Mike Donnelly and Tony Granato.#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/5JJLjeRJwq
— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) December 23, 2023
RELATED CONTENT:
Moverare Recalled Again, Now Things Get Really Tricky for Kings GM Rob Blake
Lineup graphic via ALoImages
Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com