Game 7 Preview: Los Angeles vs Buffalo

Los Angeles Kings (4-1-1) vs Buffalo Sabres (1-6-0)
Thursday, October 23, 2014, 7:30 p.m. PT
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Referees: #12 Justin St. Pierre, #14 Dennis LaRue
Linesmen: #78 Brian Mach, #74 Lonnie Cameron
FOX Sports West, KABC 790 AM
Kings Weekly to follow tonight’s game

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Quick
2014-15: 5 GP (5 GS) / 3-1-1 record / 1.86 GAA / .951 Sv% / 1 SHO
Career vs Buffalo: 5 (4) / 3-0-0 / 1.81 / .911 / 1
Last Game vs Buffalo: 11/12/13 / 63 MP / 15-17 shots / 2-3 SOL
2014-15, Home: 4 (4) / 3-1-0 / 1.60 / .958 / 1

Buffalo Projected Starting Goaltender – Jhonas Enroth
2014-15: 5 GP (5 GS) / 1-4-0 record / 3.35 GAA / .907 Sv% / 0 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 1 (1) / 0-1-0 / 2.07 / .929 / 0
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 11/7/13 / 58 MP / 26-28 shots / 0-2 L
2014-15, Away: 2 (2) / 1-1-0 / 4.32 / .875 / 0

2014-15 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Tanner Pearson (5-2=7), Tyler Toffoli (3-4=7)
Goals: Tanner Pearson (5-2=7)
Assists: Tyler Toffoli (3-4=7)
Plus/Minus: Tyler Toffoli (+9; 3-4=7), Jeff Carter (+9; 3-3=6)
Penalty Minutes: Mike Richards (21; 0-2=2)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (27:07; 0-2=2)
Corsi-For Percentage: Marian Gaborik (55.6%; 0-1=1)

2014-15 Buffalo Leaders
Total Points: Tyler Ennis (3-0=3), Marcus Folingo (2-1=3), Drew Stafford (0-3=3)
Goals: Tyler Ennis (3-0=3)
Assists: Drew Stafford (0-3=3)
Plus/Minus: Zemgus Girgensons (+0; 2-0=2), Tyson Strachan (+0; 1-0=1)
Penalty Minutes: Tyler Myers (16; 0-0=0)
Time On Ice: Tyler Myers (25:12; 0-0=0)
Corsi-For Percentage: Chris Stewart (49.75%; 0-1=1)

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – 24 / 2.33; BUF – 30 / 1.14
Goals Against/Game: LAK – t-5 / 1.67; BUF – t-27 / 3.71
Power Play: LAK – t-24 / 10.0%; BUF – t-28 / 0.00%
Penalty Kill: LAK – t-8 / 86.4%; BUF – 5 / 89.7%
Shots/Game: LAK – 28 / 25.2; BUF – 30 / 23.4
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 29 / 36.0; BUF – 30 / 37.3
Faceoffs: LAK – t-19 / 49.4%; BUF – 30 / 41.0%
Save Percentage: LAK – 2 / .954; BUF – t-21 / .900
Corsi-For Percentage: LAK – 26 / 45.72%; BUF – 30 / 38.81%

Los Angeles Projected Lineup

Dwight King – Anze Kopitar – Dustin Brown
Tanner Pearson – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli
Andy Andreoff – Jarret Stoll – Justin Williams
Kyle Clifford – Mike Richards – Jordan Nolan

Jake Muzzin – Drew Doughty
Robyn Regehr – Alec Martinez
Brayden McNabb – Matt Greene

Jonathan Quick
Martin Jones

Level of confidence in projected lines: A-. Jeff Carter didn’t participate in the optional skate this morning, so this morning’s line rushes aren’t a gauge of what will be used during the game. The above projection reflects what had been used in practice earlier this week. Jake Muzzin will draw into his first game of the season; Jonathan Quick was the first goaltender off the ice and is expected to start.

Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 41-55-19 all-time against Buffalo, a record that includes a home mark of 25-24-9. The Kings are 3-6-1 in their last 10 overall games against the Sabres, though they are 7-2-1 (one tie) in their last 10 home games in the series. The teams will meet for the final time this season on December 9 at the First Niagara Center. … With the exception of the 2011 NHL Premiere meeting between these teams in Berlin, the home team has won the last eight games between Los Angeles and Buffalo. The last time a road team won in the opposing team’s building was a 5-1 Sabres victory at Staples Center on October 23, 2003. … Los Angeles is 4-0-0 in their six-game homestand (10/12 LAK 4, WPG 1; 10/14 LAK 6, EDM 1; 10/16 LAK 1 STL 0 (SO); 10/19 LAK 2, MIN 1; 10/23 BUF; 10/26 CBJ). … Today’s game marks the first of six consecutive games against Eastern Conference teams. … The Kings have won four straight games and are on a five-game point streak. They have killed 15 penalties in a row since Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s overtime game-winner at Arizona on October 11. … Los Angeles has been out-shot 84-34 and out-attempted 144-80 over the last two games, both wins. … The Kings have scored the first goal in five of six games this season (4-0-1). … Over their four-game winning streak, Los Angeles goalies have stopped 143 of 146 shots for a .979 save percentage. … Jonathan Quick has stopped 114 of 116 shots over his last three games. … The line of Jeff Carter, Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli has combined for 20 points (11-9=20) and a plus-25 rating over the last five games. They have accounted for 11 of the team’s 14 goals this season (and 12 of 15, if Carter’s shootout game-winner last Thursday is counted). … With 98 points (62-36=98) since his trade to Los Angeles, Carter is two points shy of 100 with the Kings. … With 32 career shutouts, Jonathan Quick is one shutout from surpassing Rogie Vachon for first place on the Kings’ all-time list. … Mike Richards has 28 points (12-16=28) in 24 career games against Buffalo. … Anze Kopitar has nine points (3-6=9) in seven career games against Buffalo. … Robyn Regehr played for the Sabres from 2011-13, recording seven points (1-6=7) in 105 games. … Brayden McNabb was a part of the Buffalo organization for parts of five seasons and totaled eight points (1-7=8) in 37 games with the Sabres.

Buffalo Projected Lines

Matt Moulson – Tyler Ennis – Brian Gionta
Torrey Mitchell – Zemgus Girgensons – Drew Stafford
Marcus Foligno – Cody Hodgson – Chris Stewart
Nicolas Deslauriers – Cody McCormick

Josh Gorges – Tyler Myers
Mike Weber – Andrej Meszaros
Andre Benoit – Rasmus Ristolainen
Nikita Zadorov

Jhonas Enroth
Michal Neuvirth

Notes and milestones: Lines via Curtis Zupke of NHL.com … Sam Reinhart, the second overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft, is expected to be a healthy scratch tonight. … Buffalo is playing the second night of a back-to-back. They are 1-1-0 in such situations, having beaten Carolina on October 14 and having lost to Boston on October 18. They will play 19 sets of back-to-back games this year. … The Sabres are 10-7-1 all-time on October 23. … 22 years ago tonight, Dominik Hasek relieved Daren Puppa to start the third period against San Jose and earned his first of 234 wins with the club. … Brian Gionta was selected to become the 19th full-season captain in franchise history. The team held rotating captaincies in 2003-04 and 2007-08. … Only 10 of the 20 players who dressed for the first game in 2013-14 appeared on Buffalo’s 2014-15 opening day roster. Only six players on the 2014-15 opening day roster suited up for the team in the season-opener two years ago: Tyler Ennis, Jhonas Enroth, Marcus Foligno, Cody Hodgson, Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford. … Matt Moulson played for the Kings from 2007-09, totaling 10 points (6-4=10) over 29 games. … Nic Deslauriers was drafted in the third round by Los Angeles in 2009 but never appeared in an NHL game. He was traded to Buffalo along with prospect Hudson Fasching in exchange for Brayden McNabb and two second round draft picks on March 5, 2014. … Torrey Mitchell is expected to play his 400th career game tonight.