Game 64 Preview: Los Angeles vs Montreal

Los Angeles Kings (30-21-12) at Montreal Canadiens (41-18-5)
Thursday March 5, 2015, 7:30 p.m. PT
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Referees: #9 Dan O’Rourke, #28 Chris Lee
Linesmen: #66 Darren Gibbs, #86 Brad Lazarowich
Fox Sports West, Sportsnet, KABC 790 AM

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Quick
2014-15: 54 GP (53 GS) / 26-17-10 record / 2.39 GAA / .914 Sv% / 4 SHO
Career vs Montreal: 3 (3) / 1-2-0 / 2.68 / .882 / 0
Last Game vs Montreal: 3/3/14 / 60 MP / 17-18 shots / 2-1 W
2014-15, Home: 30 (29) / 18-6-5 / 2.08 / .923 / 4

Montreal Projected Starting Goaltender – Carey Price*
2014-15: 52 GP (52 GS) / 36-13-3 record / 1.92 GAA / .935 Sv% / 6 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 5 (5) / 4-1-0 / 2.49 / .925 / 0
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 12/12/14 / 60 MP / 44-46 shots / 6-2 W
2014-15, Away: 23 (23) / 15-7-1 / 2.02 / .933 / 3
*The Canadiens have not announced a starting goalie and are playing on the second night of a back-to-back set, though Price is still expected to play.

2014-15 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Jeff Carter (21-28=49)
Goals: Jeff Carter (21-28=49)
Assists: Anze Kopitar (13-35=48)
Plus/Minus: Tyler Toffoli (+21; 19-21=40)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (76; 4-7=11)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (29:25; 5-33=38)
Corsi-For Percentage: Anze Kopitar (58.5%; 13-35=48)

2014-15 Montreal Leaders
Total Points: Max Pacioretty (30-25=55)
Goals: Max Pacioretty (30-25=55)
Assists: P.K. Subban (12-36=48)
Plus/Minus: Max Pacioretty (+35; 30-25=55)
Penalty Minutes: Brandon Prust (107; 4-10=14)
Time On Ice: P.K. Subban (26:04; 12-36=48)
Corsi-For Percentage: Brendan Gallagher (53.4%; 17-21=38)

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – 17 / 2.70; MTL – 22 / 2.59
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 10 / 2.49; MTL – 1 / 2.19
Power Play: LAK – 18 / 17.6%; MTL – t-24 / 16.8%
Penalty Kill: LAK – t-20 / 80.3%; MTL – 5 / 85.3%
Shots/Game: LAK – t-10 / 30.9; MTL – 24 / 28.5
Shots Against/Game: LAK – t-2 / 27.5; MTL – 22 / 30.4
Faceoffs: LAK – t-10 / 51.4%; MTL – 3 / 53.2%
Save Percentage: LAK – t-16 / .909; MTL – 1 / .928
Corsi-For Percentage: LAK – 1 / 54.7%; MTL – 23 / 48.9%

Los Angeles Projected Lineup

Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Trevor Lewis
Dwight King – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli
Dustin Brown – Jarret Stoll – Justin Williams
Kyle Clifford – Nick Shore – Jordan Nolan

Robyn Regehr – Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin – Matt Greene
Brayden McNabb – Andrej Sekera

Jonathan Quick
Martin Jones

Level of confidence in projected lines: A. Based on the alignment shown during line rushes at today’s morning skate, don’t expect any changes from Tuesday’s lineup. Andy Andreoff and Jamie McBain remained on the ice for extra work, so they’re likely out tonight. Jonathan Quick left the ice first at the morning skate and is expected to start in net.

Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 29-89-20 all-time against Montreal, a record that includes a home mark of 20-40-9. The Kings are 2-8-0 against the Canadiens since the 2003-04 season. Both wins took place last season, representing the only time Los Angeles swept a multi-game season series since entering the league in 1967-68. … The Kings are 12-12-3 against the Eastern Conference and 8-6-1 against the Atlantic Division. … Los Angeles’ power play is 2-for-32 over the last 12 games, though the penalty kill has killed off 24 of the last 25 shorthanded situations. … The Kings have played 17 consecutive games without going to overtime. The last game to extend past 60 minutes was a 2-1 overtime loss to Calgary at Staples Center on January 19. … Los Angeles will play the 3,700th game in franchise history tonight. … The Kings are 11-0-3 when scoring on the power play at home. … By coaching the 1,103rd game of his career tonight, Darryl Sutter will move past Billy Reay for sole possession of 16th place in NHL history in games coached. … Jeff Carter has 13 points (7-6=13) in his last 11 games. He’ll play his 700th career game and 200th game as a King tonight. … Justin Williams will play his 900th career game tonight. … Trevor Lewis has already set career highs in goals (9) and points (19). With 10 assists, he is one assist from surpassing his career-high (2010-11).

Montreal Projected Lines

Max Pacioretty – David Desharnais – Brendan Gallagher
Alex Galchenyuk – Tomas Plekanec – Dale Weise
Lars Eller – Jacob De La Rose – Devante Smith-Pelly
Brandon Prust – Brian Flynn – Torrey Mitchell

Andrei Markov – P.K. Subban
Tom Gilbert – Jeff Petry
Nathan Beaulieu – Sergei Gonchar

Carey Price
Dustin Tokarski

Notes and milestones: Lines via NHL.com correspondent Curtis Zupke … The Canadiens have lost only 69 man-games to injury (Parenteau x18, Emelin x7, Gonchar x6, Galchenyuk x2). Last year, Montreal lost 273 man-games due to injury. … P.K. Subban is expected to play his 189th consecutive game. … Between December 23 and February 26, Carey Price won 10 consecutive road games, surpassing Rogie Vachon’s club record of eight, set between December 1 1968 and February 8, 1969. On February 28, Price recorded his 36th win of the season, equaling Ken Dryden’s franchise record for wins through 50 games. Price’s nine wins in February matched the highest win total in one calendar month by a Canadiens goaltender over the last 37 seasons. The other Montreal goalies with nine-win months since 1977-78 were Michel Larocque (November, 1980), Patrick Roy (February, 1990) and former King Cristobal Huet (March, 2006). … Max Pacioretty became the 20th American-born player to record at least three 30-plus goal seasons. … On this date in 1961, Jean Beliveau played his 500th career regular season game as the Canadiens defeated the Bruins, 2-1. … On this date in 1988, Stephane Richer’s fourth goal of the game 1:51 into overtime lifted Montreal to a 7-6 win over Los Angeles. … The Canadiens are 9-8-0 on the second game of back-to-back sets.