Game 23 Preview: Calgary at Los Angeles

Projected Starting Goaltender, Los Angeles – Jonathan Quick
Season: 17 GP (16 GS) / 7-7-2 record / 2.59 GAA / .895 Sv% / 0 SHO
Career vs Calgary: 11 (11) / 6-4-1 / 1.52 / .940 / 1
Last Game vs Calgary: 3/28/12 / 60 MP / 19/19 shots / 3-0 W
2012-13, Home: 7 (6) / 4-2-1 / 2.36 / .882 / 0

Projected Starting Goaltender, Calgary – Miika Kiprusoff
Season: 9 (9) / 3-4-2 / 3.07 / .881 / 0
Career vs Los Angeles: 32 (31) / 19-9-3 / 2.02 / .927 / 2
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 3/28/12 / 59 MP / 27/29 shots / 0-3 L
2012-13, Away: 3 (3) / 1-1-1 / 2.55 / .913 / 0

Leading Scorers, Los Angeles
Total Points: Anze Kopitar (7-13=20)
Goals: Jeff Carter (16-2=18)
Assists: Anze Kopitar (7-13=20)
Plus/Minus: Slava Voynov (+10; 4-9=13)
Penalty Minutes: Jordan Nolan (31; 2-2=4)

Leading Scorers, Calgary
Total Points: Jarome Iginla (7-11=18)
Goals: Mike Cammalleri (8-8=16), Curtis Glencross (8-5=13)
Assists: Jiri Hudler (4-12=16)
Plus/Minus: Matt Stajan (+6; 3-8=11)
Penalty Minutes: Mark Giordano (18; 1-3=4)

A stick tap goes to: Jarome Iginla. The 35-year-old franchise cornerstone has brushed off quips about his impending decline by rallying for six goals in his last six games after scoring once in his first 16. If we’re talking bigger picture, he has 523 career goals and has recorded at least 30 in every season since the turn of the millennium. There’s also the whole philanthropy thing – he donates $2,000 for every goal he scores and has provided over $600,000 for KidSport Calgary. He won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his humanitarian work in 2003-04.

A fist shake goes to: General Manager Jay Feaster. Calgary isn’t an upwards-trending team, and his recent trades and acquisitions have been lateral moves that have delayed a full rebuilding project. The system isn’t stocked with pristine, surefire talent – though top prospect Sven Baertschi has a bright future, he was reassigned to the AHL earlier today after registering as many points in 10 games (one) as hip flexors – and 11 players have already celebrated their 30th birthday.

Why the Kings need to win this game: Calgary will be faced with a significant challenge to make the playoffs, and the Kings need as many points as they can get in the tight Western Conference. The sixth-through-eleventh ranked teams are all playing each other, and already one of those games (SJ-STL) has resulted in three points being awarded. Jonathan Quick needs to continue to find his rhythm.

Rankings and Statistics

Goals/Game: LAK – t-14 / 2.77; CGY – t-14 / 2.77
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 12 / 2.54; CGY – 28 / 3.15
Power Play: LAK – t-18 / 16.3%; CGY – 8 / 20.0%
Penalty Kill: LAK – t-14 / 81.6%; CGY – 19 / 79.7%
Shots/Game: LAK – 15 / 29.0; CGY – 17 / 28.8
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 2 / 24.4; CGY – t-14 / 28.7
Faceoffs: LAK – 5 / 52.7%; CGY – 27 / 46.6%
Save Percentage: LAK – t-24 / .896; CGY – 27 / .889

Projected Lines – Los Angeles

Dustin Brown – Anze Kopitar – Justin Williams
Dustin Penner – Mike Richards – Jeff Carter
Dwight King – Jarret Stoll – Trevor Lewis
Kyle Clifford – Colin Fraser – Jordan Nolan

Jake Muzzin – Drew Doughty
Rob Scuderi – Slava Voynov
Keaton Ellerby – Alec Martinez

Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Bernier

Notes: Jeff Carter has recorded 12 goals in the last 12 games. Dustin Penner has assists in four straight games, a career high. Anze Kopitar has 20 points (7-13=20) in the last 19 games. Mike Richards has 17 points (6-11=17) in the last 18 games. As always, line projections are educated assessments and not definite alignments.

Projected Lines – Calgary

Curtis Glencross – Matt Stajan – Lee Stempniak
Jiri Hudler – Roman Cervenka – Jarome Iginla
Alex Tanguay – Mikael Backlund – Michael Cammalleri
Blake Comeau – Steve Begin – Brian McGrattan

Mark Giordano – Jay Bouwmeester
Chris Butler – Dennis Wideman
T.J. Brodie – Derek Smith

Miika Kiprusoff
Joey MacDonald

Notes: Sven Baertschi was reassigned to AHL-Abbotsford today to make room for fellow first round draft pick Mikael Backlund, who missed a month with an MCL sprain. Tim Jackman is a candidate for a fourth line role, perhaps in the place of Brian McGrattan. Jiri Hudler has six assists in the last four games. As always, line projections are educated assessments and not definite alignments.