Game 44 Preview: Los Angeles vs New Jersey

Los Angeles Kings (20-13-10) vs New Jersey Devils (15-21-8)
Wednesday, January 14, 2015, 7:30 p.m. PT
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Referees: #24 Graham Skilliter, #16 Brian Pochmara
Linesmen: #88 Mike Cvik, #91 Don Henderson
FOX Sports West, KABC 790 AM

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Martin Jones
2014-15: 10 GP (8 GS) / 4-3-2 record / 2.07 GAA / .916 Sv% / 3 SHO
Career vs New Jersey: First appearance
Last Game vs New Jersey: First apearance
2014-15, Home: 5 (3) / 2-1-1 / 1.70 / .926 / 1

New Jersey Projected Starting Goaltender – Cory Schneider
2014-15: 38 GP (38 GS) / 14-19-4 record / 2.40 GAA / .919 Sv% / 2 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 4 (4) / 3-1-0 / 1.00 / .962 / 1
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 11/21/13 / 63 MP / 34-35 shots / 2-1 W
2014-15, Away: 22 (22) / 8-13-0 / 2.70 / .918 / 2

2014-15 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Anze Kopitar (10-24=34)
Goals: Marian Gaborik (14-9=23)
Assists: Anze Kopitar (10-24=34)
Plus/Minus: Tyler Toffoli (+16; 12-15=27)
Penalty Minutes: Matt Greene (42; 2-4=6)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (29:19; 4-23=27)
Corsi-For Percentage: Trevor Lewis (59.7%; 6-5=11)

2014-15 New Jersey Leaders
Total Points: Jaromir Jagr (9-16=25)
Goals: Mike Cammalleri (13-5=18)
Assists: Jaromir Jagr (9-16=25)
Plus/Minus: Steve Bernier (+4; 3-7=10), Stephen Gionta (+4; 3-3=6)
Penalty Minutes: Jordin Tootoo (55; 3-0=3)
Time On Ice: Andy Greene (23:32; 0-10=10)
Corsi-For Percentage: Jaromir Jagr (53.6%; 9-16=25)

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – t-11 / 2.79; NJD – 28 / 2.14
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 10 / 2.46; NJD – 20 / 2.68
Power Play: LAK – 11 / 20.0%; NJD – 13 / 19.2%
Penalty Kill: LAK – 22 / 79.1%; NJD – 24 / 78.7%
Shots/Game: LAK – t-6 / 31.4; NJD – 29 / 25.0
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 6 / 27.8; NJD – 19 / 30.1
Faceoffs: LAK – 10 / 51.3%; NJD – 26 / 47.5%
Save Percentage: LAK – t-13 / .911; NJD – t-13 / .911
Corsi-For Percentage: LAK – 1 / 54.7%; NJD – t-22 / 48.9%

Los Angeles Projected Lineup

Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Jeff Carter
Dustin Brown – Jarret Stoll – Justin Williams
Dwight King – Mike Richards – Trevor Lewis
Kyle Clifford – Andy Andreoff – Jordan Nolan

Brayden McNabb – Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin – Matt Greene
Jeff Schultz – Alec Martinez

Martin Jones
Jonathan Quick

Level of confidence in projected lines: A. No changes to Monday’s lineup were shown during today’s morning skate. Martin Jones left the ice first and is expected to start in net, while Nick Shore and Jamie McBain remained on the ice for extra work with Robyn Regehr (injured reserve) and Jonathan Quick.

Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 52-29-14 all-time against New Jersey/Colorado/Kansas City, a record that includes a home mark of 30-10-7. The teams will conclude the season series on March 23 at the Prudential Center. … Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Martin Jones is the fastest goaltender (29 games) in modern day NHL history (1967-68) to record seven shutouts. He broke Steve Mason’s mark (32 games), set in 2008-09. … The Kings are 1-1-2 during a season-long seven-game homestand (OTL vs NSH, L vs NYR, SOL vs WPG, W vs TOR, 1/14 vs NJD, 1/17 vs ANA, 1/19 vs CGY). … Los Angeles is 7-7-3 against the Eastern Conference and 2-4-2 against the Atlantic Division. … The Kings have a 57.9% Corsi-for rating in five-on-five play over the last 23 games (1191 CF / 865 CA). They haven’t been outshot over the last 19 games (8-6-5) and have averaged 33.8 shots per game over that span (642 shots / 19 GP). … The Kings have outscored opponents 84-61 in second and third periods this season. …Dwight King is expected to play his 200th career game today. … Anze Kopitar has assists in four straight games (2-6=8) and points in 10 of the last 12 (4-16=20). … Marian Gaborik has 15 points (10-5=15) in his last 12 games. … Jeff Carter has 13 points (5-8=13) in the last 12 games.

New Jersey Projected Lineup

Adam Henrique – Scott Gomez – Steve Bernier
Dainius Zubrus – Mike Cammalleri – Michael Ryder
Patrick Elias – Travis Zajac – Marty Havlat
Joe Whitney – Tim Sestito – Jordin Tootoo

Andy Greene – Adam Larsson
Jon Merrill – Marek Zidlicky
Mark Fraser – Peter Harrold

Cory Schneider
Keith Kinkaid

Notes and milestones: New Jersey’s lineup put together via reports from the Newark Star-Ledger and the Bergen County Record. … Jacob Josefson could be a fourth line option in place of Tim Sestito. … Jaromir Jagr (flu) and Tuomo Ruutu (flu) did not travel to Los Angeles. … Forwards Stephen Gionta (hand) and Ryane Clowe (head) and defensemen Eric Gelinas (flu), Bryce Salvador (lower-body) and Damon Severson (ankle) are on injured reserve and will not play. … Of the 20 Devils who appeared in Game 6 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, only seven are still on New Jersey’s roster and currently active: Marek Zidlicky, Andy Greene, Dainius Zubrus, Adam Henrique, Steve Bernier, Travis Zajac and Patrik Elias. Stephen Gionta and Bryce Salvador are on injured reserve, while Peter Harrold appeared in the series’ first three games. … The Devils open a three-game Pacific Division swing tonight that will also take them to Anaheim (Friday) and San Jose (Monday). They are 3-7-3 against the Western Conference this season, a record that includes a 1-4-1 road mark. … Scott Gomez ranks sixth all-time in Devils history with 462 points; with 472 points, Bobby Holik ranks fifth. … Mike Cammalleri, selected in the second round by the Kings in 2001, totaled 205 points (93-112=205) in 278 games with Los Angeles between 2002-08. … Defenseman Peter Harrold, signed by the Kings as a non-drafted free agent out of Boston College in 2006, totaled 26 points (8-18=26) in 164 games with Los Angeles between 2006-11.