Freeway faceoff

It’s one of the strangest facts in Southern California sports. Since the Ducks joined the NHL in 1993, the Kings and Ducks have never made the playoffs in the same season. Well, if the playoffs started this morning — they don’t, so don’t panic — neither team would be among the top eight in the Western Conference. The Kings are ninth, one point ahead of the 11th-place Ducks (who have played three more games). Both teams come into the game struggling of late. The Ducks are 1-4-2 in their last seven — although they’re coming off a 6-4 win over Phoenix on Saturday. The Kings have lost six of seven, but coach Terry Murray didn’t put much weight behind the idea that a game against their rivals might bring some life out of the Kings.

MURRAY: “It should have been (Saturday) night, too. When you get into a bit of a hole, like we’re in, every game should be able to create that kind of spark that you need. But the wood is wet, and the spark is not setting a fire right now. So we’ve got to take advantage of the games that are right in front of us right now. Anaheim is a big rival, and then we come back home for more. It’s an opportunity. The opportunity is not easy, but we have to understand that hard work, and a competitive attitude, is what is needed to be brought to the game right now.”