Game 69 Preview: Los Angeles vs Arizona

Los Angeles Kings (33-22-13) vs Arizona Coyotes (21-40-8)
Monday, March 16, 2015, 7:30 p.m. PT
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Referees: #34 Brad Meier, #27 Eric Furlatt
Linesmen: #98 John Grandt, #92 Mark Shewchyk
FOX Sports West, Sportsnet, KABC 790 AM

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Quick
2014-15: 59 GP (58 GS) / 29-18-11 record / 2.32 GAA / .914 Sv% / 5 SHO
Career vs Arizona: 32 (32) / 15-13-4 / 2.58 / .906 / 5
Last Game vs Arizona: 12/20/14 / 60 MP / 15-17 shots / 4-2 W
2014-15, Home: 33 (32) / 19-7-6 / 2.06 / .921 / 4

Arizona Projected Starting Goaltender – Mike Smith
2014-15: 51 GP (50 GS) / 11-34-5 record / 3.24 GAA / .898 Sv% / 0 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 18 (18) / 11-5-1 / 2.26 / .925 / 2
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 12/4/14 / 36 MP / 17-20 shots / 0-4 L
2014-15, Away: 24 (24) / 5-17-2 / 3.32 / .898 / 0

2014-15 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Jeff Carter (24-28=52), Anze Kopitar (14-38=52)
Goals: Jeff Carter (24-28=52)
Assists: Anze Kopitar (14-38=52)
Plus/Minus: Tyler Toffoli (+20; 20-21=41)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (83; 6-7=13)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (29:22; 5-34=39)
Corsi-For Percentage: Anze Kopitar (58.4%; 14-38=52)

2014-15 Arizona Leaders
Total Points: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (17-16=33), Sam Gagner (12-21=33)
Goals: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (17-16=33)
Assists: Sam Gagner (12-21=33)
Plus/Minus: John Moore (+1; 1-6=7)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Chipchura (80; 4-8=12)
Time On Ice: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (24:5317-16=33)
Corsi-For Percentage: Martin Erat (53.4%; 9-20=29)

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – 17 / 2.69; ARI – 29 / 2.03
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 8 / 2.43; ARI – 28 / 3.26
Power Play: LAK – t-11 / 18.8%; ARI – 7 / 20.8%
Penalty Kill: LAK – 15 / 81.2%; ARI – 26 / 78.0%
Shots/Game: LAK – 13 / 30.6; ARI – 21 / 29.4
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 1 / 26.9; ARI – t-25 / 32.4
Faceoffs: LAK – t-10 / 51.4%; ARI – 7 / 51.9%
Save Percentage: LAK – t-14 / .910; ARI – 28 / .900
Corsi-For Percentage: LAK – 1 / 54.9%; ARI – 22 / 49.1%

Los Angeles Projected Lines

Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Dustin Brown
Trevor Lewis – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli
Dwight King – Nick Shore – Justin Williams
Kyle Clifford – Andy Andreoff – 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. Jonathan Quick left the ice first, so he’ll start. Jarret Stoll (upper-body) hasn’t resumed skating and remains out indefinitely. Alec Martinez (concussion-like symptoms) skated at practice but is still a short ways away from returning to the lineup. Tanner Pearson (lower fibula) took the ice at the end of practice, but his return isn’t imminent. Jamie McBain remained on the ice for extra work with Martinez, Pearson and Martin Jones and isn’t expected to play tonight.

Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 82-96-33 all-time against the Arizona franchise, a record that includes a home mark of 46-42-16. The Kings are 8-2-0 in their last 10 home games against the Coyotes and 2-0-1 overall against the Coyotes this season. Tonight’s game concludes the season series.. … Los Angeles is 20-10-9 against the Western Conference and 11-4-6 against the Pacific Division. … The Kings have won 11 of 33 one-goal games this season (11-9-13). … Los Angeles has killed off 39 of the last 41 penalties, dating back to David Jones’ second period goal in Los Angeles’ 5-3 win over Calgary on February 12. … Brayden McNabb is expected to play in his 100th NHL game. … With 598 career points, Anze Kopitar (216-382=598) is two points shy of 600 in his career and with 382 assists, is two assists shy of Butch Goring (384 assists) for sixth place on the Kings’ all-time list. … With six goals, Kyle Clifford is one goal from tying his career high (7; 2010-11, 2012-13). … Marian Gaborik has 22 goals and 32 points in 33 career games against Arizona. … Anze Kopitar has 53 points (15-38=53) in 52 career games against Arizona.

Arizona Projected Lines

Tobias Rieder – Marc Arcobello – Shane Doan
Martin Erat – Sam Gagner – David Moss
Lauri Korpikoski – Kyle Chipchura – Craig Cunningham
Tye McGinn – Joe Vitale – BJ Crombeen

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Mark Stone
Klas Dahlbeck – John Moore
Brandon Gormley – Connor Murphy

Mike Smith
Louis Domingue

Notes and milestones: Lines via Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic … Martin Hanzal (IR / back surgery) and Mikkel Boedker (IR / splenectomy) are out, while defenseman Andrew Campbell is expected to be scratched, per McLellan. … Kyle Chipchura is expected to play his 400th career NHL game tonight. … Arizona’s 24.7% road power play percentage ranks second in the league. The Coyotes are tied with Columbus and Chicago with 23 road power play goals, the third highest total in the league. … Mike Smith has stopped 163 of 175 shots through five games in March (.931 Sv%). … Shane Doan has 77 points (36-41=77) in 100 career games against Los Angeles. The 77 points are the most Doan has recorded versus any NHL opponent. With 1,382 career games played, Doan is tied with Trevor Linden for 38th place on the NHL’s all-time games played list. Only Jaromir Jagr (1,536 games) has played more games than Doan amongst active players. … Oliver Ekman-Larsson leads the Coyotes and ranks second amongst league defensemen with 17 goals this season. … Arizona is 1-13-1 in its last 15 games. Over the last 18 games, the Coyotes have scored more than two goals twice (excluding shootout goals), and their two wins have come via the shootout.