Game 39 Preview: Los Angeles at Anaheim

Los Angeles Kings (22-13-3) at Anaheim Ducks (25-8-5)
Sunday, April 7, 2013, 6:00 pm
Honda Center, Anaheim, California

Referees: #21 Don VanMassenhoven, #22 Ghislain Hebert
Linesmen: #77 Tim Nowak, #86 Brad Lazarowich

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Bernier
Season: 12 GP (10 GS) / 9-2-0 record / 1.77 GAA / .927 Sv% / 1 SHO
Career vs Anaheim: 3 (2) / 2-1-0 / 2.08 / .910 / 0
Last Game vs Anaheim: 2/2/13 / 53 MP / 17-21 shots / 4-7 L
2012-13, Away: 5 (3) / 3-2-0 / 2.05 / .909 / 0

Anaheim Projected Starting Goaltender – Viktor Fasth*
Season: 19 (18) / 13-4-1 / 2.17 / .922 / 3
Career vs Los Angeles: 1 (1) / 0-1-0 / 4.10 / .833 / 0
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 2/25/13 / 59 MP / 34-38 shots / 2-5 L
2012-13, Home: 10 (10) / 7-3-0 / 2.12 / .922 / 1
*Anaheim has not named its starting goalie and did not skate this morning. Because Jonas Hiller was sick earlier this week and missed practice time (and a game), and because of this tweet earlier today from Dan Wood, the Ducks’ radio color commentator, I’m leaning towards Fasth.

Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Anze Kopitar (10-24=34)
Goals: Jeff Carter (22-5=27)
Assists: Anze Kopitar (10-24=34)
Plus/Minus: Justin Williams (+18; 10-18=28)
Penalty Minutes: Keaton Ellerby (50*; 0-3=3)
*36 of Ellerby’s penalty Minutes came as a member of the Florida Panthers.

Anaheim Leaders
Total Points: Ryan Getzlaf (13-30=43)
Goals: Ryan Getzlaf (13-30=43)
Assists: Ryan Getzlaf (13-30=43)
Plus/Minus: Sheldon Souray (+26; 7-7=14)
Penalty Minutes: Corey Perry (64; 12-18=30)

A stick tap goes to: Bruce Boudreau. The Ducks are 49-22-11 in the last 82 games under Boudreau and 52-31-13 overall in the 96 games he has served as head coach. These records come on the heels of a 7-13-4 start to the 2011-12 season under previous Coach Randy Carlyle.

A fist shake goes to: Defense in this year’s season series. Los Angeles and Anaheim have combined for 18 goals through the first two games as each team has won on home ice. The Kings’ power play has scored three times in six opportunities, while the Ducks’ man advantage has operated at a robust 57.1% clip, going 4-for-7. Here’s to small sample sizes.

Why the Kings need to win this game: Though it’s a major longshot, the Pacific Division is still in play – if the L.A. wins both remaining games against Anaheim. As previously noted, the Kings are a short losing streak away from dropping towards the playoff bubble.

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – t-7 / 2.90; ANA – 6 / 2.95
Goals Against/Game: LAK – t-7 / 2.37; ANA – 9 / 2.42
Power Play: LAK – 11 / 19.6%; ANA – 5 / 22.6%
Penalty Kill: LAK – 16 / 81.6%; ANA – 21 / 80.0%
Shots/Game: LAK – 12 / 29.9; ANA – 22 / 27.6
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 2 / 24.4; ANA – 9 / 27.8
Faceoffs: LAK – 8 / 51.3%; ANA – 26 / 47.6%
Save Percentage: LAK – 19 / .903; ANA – 12 / .913

Projected Lines – Los Angeles

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

Robyn Regehr – Drew Doughty
Rob Scuderi – Slava Voynov
Jake Muzzin – Keaton Ellerby

Jonathan Bernier
Jonathan Quick

Notes: Both Robyn Regehr and Jake Muzzin are likely to see time alongside Drew Doughty, depending on the situation. Should Colin Fraser play, he’ll appear in his 100th career game with the Kings. Justin Williams has points in six straight games (6-1=7). Jonathan Bernier is 9-0-0 / 1.50 / .938 in his 10 starts, stopping 210 of 224 shots. As always, line projections are educated assessments and not definite alignments.

Projected Lines – Anaheim

Bobby Ryan – Saku Koivu – Corey Perry
Daniel Winnik – Matthew Lombardi – Teemu Selanne
Andrew Cogliano – David Steckel – Matt Beleskey
Kyle Palmieri – Peter Holland – Emerson Etem

Sheldon Souray – Francois Beauchemin
Cam Fowler – Bryan Allen
Luca Sbisa – Ben Lovejoy

Viktor Fasth
Jonas Hiller

Notes: These lines, courtesy of Daily Faceoff, are based on Ryan Getzlaf being unable to play tonight. Getzlaf suffered a lower-body injury on Wednesday and did not play in Friday’s loss to Dallas; he is being considered “day-to-day”. Should he return tonight, he would center Anaheim’s top line and likely push either David Steckel or Peter Holland out of the lineup. As always, line projections are educated assessments and not definite alignments.