Scouting the Blue Jackets

This is the second of four meetings this season between the Kings and the Columbus Blue Jackets, following the Kings’ 2-1 victory in Columbus on Dec. 15. Remember, it’s a 1 p.m. start today. It’s been a tough season for the Blue Jackets, who rank among the bottom five in the NHL in goals per game (26th), goals-against per game (27th) and penalty killing (29th). Of course, the Kings haven’t exactly been stellar scorers themselves. The Blue Jackets have a 1-7-1 record in their last nine, but they did get a glimmer of hope in their last game, a 2-1 loss to San Jose, as goalie Curtis Sanford returned and stopped 37 of 39 shots. Sanford, who also stopped 39 of 41 shots in Columbus’ first game against the Kings, is scheduled to start again today. For the latest on the Blue Jackets, check out the coverage from the Columbus Dispatch, followed by today’s probable lineups for both teams…

The Columbus Dispatch’s Blue Jackets coverage

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KINGS LINEUP
Richards-Kopitar-Brown
Penner-Stoll-Williams
Richardson-Loktionov-Lewis
Clifford-Fraser-Hunter

Scuderi-Doughty
Mitchell-Martinez
Johnson-Greene

Quick
Bernier

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BLUE JACKETS LINEUP
Vinny Prospal-Jeff Carter-Rick Nash
R.J. Umberger-Antoine Vermette-Derick Brassard
Ryan Russell-Samuel Pahlsson-Derek Dorsett
Ryan Johansen-Derek MacKenzie-Jared Boll

Fedor Tyutin-Nikita Nikitin
Marc Methot-John Moore
Grant Clitsome-David Savard

Curtis Sanford
Steve Mason