Game 71 Preview: Los Angeles vs Vancouver

Los Angeles Kings (34-22-14) vs Vancouver Canucks (40-26-4)
Saturday, March 21, 2015, 1:00 p.m. PT
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Referees: #5 Chris Rooney, #3 Mike Leggo
Linesmen: #77 Tim Nowak, #54 Greg Devorski
FOX Sports West, KABC 790 AM

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Quick
2014-15: 61 GP (60 GS) / 30-18-12 record / 2.29 GAA / .915 Sv% / 6 SHO
Career vs Vancouver: 24 (24) / 12-11-1 / 1.74 / .933 / 2
Last Game vs Vancouver: 3/12/15/ 60 MP / 19/19 shots / 4-0 W
2014-15, Home: 34 (33) / 20-7-6 / 2.00 / .923 / 5

Vancouver Projected Starting Goaltender – Eddie Lack
2014-15: 31 GP (25 GS) / 12-10-3 record / 2.48 GAA / .918 Sv% / 1 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 5 (3) / 1-2-0 / 1.86 / .925 / 0
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 3/12/15 / 60 MP / 16-19 shots / 0-4 L
2014-15, Away: 16 (11) / 5-4-2 / 2.60 / .922 / 1

2014-15 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Jeff Carter (25-28=53), Anze Kopitar (14-39=53)
Goals: Jeff Carter (25-28=53),
Assists: Anze Kopitar (14-39=53)
Plus/Minus: Tyler Toffoli (+20; 20-21=41)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (83; 6-7=13)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (29:21; 5-35=40)
Corsi-For Percentage: Anze Kopitar (58.6%; 14-39=53)*
*Andrej Sekera has a 59.4% Corsi-for in 10 games with Los Angeles and a 53.7% Corsi-for overall.

2014-15 Vancouver Leaders
Total Points: Daniel Sedin (15-46=61), Henrik Sedin (15-46=61)
Goals: Radim Vrbata (26-23=49)
Assists: Daniel Sedin (15-46=61), Henrik Sedin (15-46=61)
Plus/Minus: Ryan Stanton (+10; 3-8=11)
Penalty Minutes: Derek Dorsett (157; 6-17=23)
Time On Ice: Alex Edler (24:08; 6-13=19)
Corsi-For Percentage: Henrik Sedin (54.1%; 15-46=61)

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – 18 / 2.66; VAN – t-11 / 2.79
Goals Against/Game: LAK – t-6 / 2.40; VAN – 20 / 2.70
Power Play: LAK – 12 / 18.8%; VAN – t-21 / 17.1%
Penalty Kill: LAK – 12 / 81.7%; VAN – 3 / 85.7%
Shots/Game: LAK – t-12 / 30.7; VAN – t-21 / 29.4
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 1 / 26.9; VAN – t-14 / 29.4
Faceoffs: LAK – t-12 / 51.3%; VAN – 28 / 47.3%
Save Percentage: LAK – t-13 / .911; VAN – t-20 / .908
Corsi-For Percentage: LAK – 1 / 55.0%; VAN – 21 / 49.6%

Los Angeles Projected Lineup

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

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

Jonathan Quick
Martin Jones

Level of confidence in projected lines: C-. It’s possible that the Kings use a balance of 11 forwards and seven defensemen with Alec Martinez’s potential return, but is it likely? Probably not. Given that Martinez was activated yesterday, this projection is based on the assumption that he’ll play (which is not a foregone conclusion by any stretch). Should he play, he skated alongside Jamie McBain at practice yesterday, and McBain is probably out, so this could be a hint that the team may use seven defensemen. It may not be, and in all likelihood, this may just be some overthinking on a day in which there is no morning skate and lineup indicators are scant. Hey, Los Angeles beat Vancouver with five defensemen earlier this year, so imagine what they could do with seven. Jonathan Quick is projected to start, while the rest of the alignment was is based off yesterday’s practice lines. Andy Andreoff would be in if the Kings go for the traditional 12/6 balance.

Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 103-97-35 all-time against Vancouver, a record that includes a home mark of 63-38-18. The Kings are 7-3-0 in both their last 10 home games and last 10 games overall against the Canucks. Los Angeles is 3-0-0 in the season series, and including playoff games, 14-5-0 in their last 19 head-to-head match-ups. The teams will conclude their season series at Rogers Arena on Monday, April 6. … The Kings are 21-10-10 against the Western Conference and 12-4-7 against the Pacific Division. … Los Angeles has killed off 44 of the last 46 penalties dating back to David Jones’ second period goal in the 5-3 win over Calgary on February 12. … The Kings are 13-1-3 when scoring on the power play at home. … During five-on-five play in this season’s head-to-head series, Los Angeles has registered 161 shot attempts to Vancouver’s 90. … Dating back to February 7, Jonathan Quick is 13-3-2 with a 1.75 GAA, .930 Sv% and three shutouts (1063:49 min / 442 shots against / 411 saves). … Anze Kopitar has 599 career points (216-383=599), one point shy of 600. With 383 assists, he is one assist shy of Butch Goring (384 assists) for sixth place on the Kings’ all-time list. … Tyler Toffoli has eight points (4-4=8) and a plus-six rating in eight career games against Vancouver.

Vancouver Projected Lines

Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Alexandre Burrows
Ronalds Kenins – Nick Bonino – Radim Vrbata
Chris Higgins – Shawn Matthias – Derek Dorsett
Brandon McMillan – Bo Horvat – Jannik Hansen

Alexander Edler – Christopher Tanev
Dan Hamhuis – Yannick Weber
Luca Sbisa – Kevin Bieksa

Eddie Lack
Jacob Markstrom

Notes and milestones: Brad Richardson (foot) and Zack Kassian (undisclosed) did not travel with the team on its two-game trip to Los Angeles and Arizona. Linden Vey could play in place of Brandon McMillan. … With 17 goals, Shawn Matthias has surpassed his previous career-high of 14. … Henrik Sedin has 23 points (6-17=23) and Daniel Sedin has 22 points (6-16=22) in the 25 games since the All-Star Break. … Radim Vrbata is tied for ninth in he league with 10 power play goals. … With 63 career goals, Alex Edler is two goals behind Doug Lidster (65) for the fourth most goals by a defenseman in club history. … Vancouver is tied for second in the league in road penalty killing with an 86.8% rate away from Rogers Arena. … The Canucks are 19-3-4 in one-goal games.