This is the first of four meetings this season between the Kings and the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Kings will look to end a five-game losing streak and record their first road victory since Nov. 22 at St. Louis. The Blue Jackets have struggled this season, but they had an eye-opening 2-1 shootout victory over Vancouver on Tuesday. In goal, the Blue Jackets are expected to start Curtis Sanford, who took over as the primary goalie for Steve Mason in mid-November and has a 2.44 goals-against average in 14 games this season. Samuel Pahlsson is expected to return to the Columbus lineup tonight, and the Blue Jackets are led by Rick Nash, who has nine goals, and Vinny Prospal, who has 26 points. For the latest on the Blue Jackets, check out the blog from the Columbus Dispatch, followed by the possible lineups for both teams…
Columbus Dispatch Blue Jackets blog
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KINGS LINEUP
Gagne-Kopitar-Brown
Penner-Stoll-Williams
Richardson-Loktionov-Lewis
Clifford-Fraser-Westgarth
Scuderi-Doughty
Martinez-Johnson
Drewiske-Greene
Quick
Bernier
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BLUE JACKETS LINEUP
Vinny Prospal-Jeff Carter-Rick Nash
Antonie Vermette-Derick Brassard-Ryan Johansen
RJ Umberger-Samuel Pahlsson-Dane Byers
Mark Letestu-Derek MacKenzie-Jared Boll
Fedor Tyutin-Nikita Nikitin
Marc Methot-James Wisniewski
John Moore-Grant Clitsome
Curtis Sanford
Steve Mason
Put Brown back on the left please.
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theres absolutely no reason to lose that one
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4 things for the Kings.
Pleas! Don’t try to line up all 5 players on a regroup to move up ice as a 5 man unit. It’s too simple to break up. Stagger every once and a while.
Don’t have the D passing forward to players standing still in the nutral zone waiting for tips deep into the offensive zone.
Don’t pass forward to players circling back towards you. Keep everything moving forward.
Attack the crease with possesion when ever possible. Their goalie will fold.
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jess Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
@Dominick, can’t believe my post immediately followed yours! Good to see ya dom btw..
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Game Plan:
-Pop like three or seven pucks in the back of their net
-Don’t take careless penalties
-Play decent D
Done with a dub..
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This might work, IF we can score in the first period
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com’on cliffie….light it up big guy
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Im looking for a big game form Richardson and Lewis! If these guys can step up it will do wonders for us! their line should be fun to watch tonight.
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silk Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, Agreed. These guys hustle and will forcheck. They never should have sat!
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Cynic Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, +1
I’m looking for a big game from the entire 3rd line tonight. Lokti has a moment to capture here. You know Lewis is just ITCHING to show what he can do. He did it in his last game, but got benched anyway (Which I still don’t understand, but…).
Hoping for the best.
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I think it’s about time the tough guys start picking some fights…not that it’s that important to me, but this team needs some inspiration from somewhere….
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Gosh, calling a game with Columbus as a big game?
How the mighty have fallen.
The bigger problem is if Columbus works them. That makes it crushing. Maybe that’s the problem here. Try just playing your own game, make them adjust to us? Too obvious?
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Dominick Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
@Kingsfanone, Another way to look at it is, If the Kings play a flawless game……………….it’s against Columbus. No rest for the wicked I guess.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
@Dominick,
Exactly! Why put so much pressure on these guys when they clearly can handle it?
That’s what I’m saying. Someone tell THEM that!
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
@Kingsfanone,
*can’t*
look at these pairing (Martinez-Johnson Drewiske-Greene) I’m for all telling Voynov what he did wrong, but to bench him and your replacement is Drewiske or Martinez what a joke this team has become maybe he should start benching the top line players making all this money that can’t score goals….
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RobSD Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
@David H,
I agree. What an absurd move. VV has been the one shining light through all this. He has been solid almost every game. Benching a kid for one bad game??? How about Green and DD? Wouldn’t mind seeing someone else riding the pine who deserved it.
I just do not understand the moves this team makes. Unbelievable.
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Columbus gonna play their 3rd string rookie goaltender?
j/k
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
@jess,
Their trainer is suiting up and will stone them, of course.
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Dominick Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
@Kingsfanone, I heard they’re suiting up some of their icegirls to play the 4rth line defensive rolls tonight.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
@Dominick,
Hell. Id want that matchup!
jess Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
@Dominick, Is that a pay per view event?
Kingsfanone Reply:
December 15th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
@jess,
Cannot be. That’s prostitution, except in Neveda.
I have no expectations for this game whatsoever. These players need to earn the expectations again.
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i like the 3rd line
-playing drewiske and martinez over voynov surprised me
-playing brown, kopi and gagne a lot should work well
-i’m predicting the second line turns it on tonight
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Kopi will break out of his slump with a goal and an assist.
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40 shots and make a losing goalie look like an all-star again???
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yah lets not play slava cuz were doing fine in scoring goals what a joke
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