March 13 morning skate notes: Quick expected to start; McNabb back in?

Good morning to you, Insiders. Kings-Blues tonight. ::checks standings:: This is kind of a big game.

In advance of tonight’s tilt (7:00 p.m. / FOX Sports West / FOX Sports GO / KABC 790 / I Heart Radio), the Kings aligned thusly:

Gaborik-Kopitar-Iginla
Pearson-Carter-Toffoli
Brown-Kempe-Lewis
Clifford-Dowd-Andreoff

Forbort-Doughty
Muzzin-LaDue
McNabb-Martinez
Gravel

-Jonathan Quick was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate and will be expected to start tonight against St. Louis. Brayden McNabb took the first loop alongside Alec Martinez, and Kevin Gravel remained on the ice for some extra work with Ben Bishop, so it appears likely McNabb will rejoin tonight’s lineup. Neither Jordan Nolan nor Nick Shore skated with the group.

-STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING. There has been a scoring change from Jeff Carter’s empty netter on Saturday. Add a second assist to Tanner Pearson, so the goal now reads Carter (31) from Toffoli (14) and Pearson (19) on the power play at 19:58 of the third period. As you were.

-St. Louis leads Los Angeles by three points. Both teams have 15 games remainng. The Blues have five games left against the Avalanche and Coyotes. No doubt the stakes of this game are huge. What say you, Jake Muzzin? “Well, it’s a must-win game. We all know where we are and who we’re trying to catch and they’re ahead of us, so points-wise it’s a huge game. You know, every game for us coming down the stretch here is important and we’re looking to get points in every one of them.”

-A community note: Taste of the South Bay takes place this Friday – St. Patrick’s Day! – at the new Shade Hotel in Redondo Beach. Mix and mingle with Kings personnel and celebrities, play casino games and taste offerings from over a dozen South Bay-area restaurants at the annual charity event. Tickets are $100 and proceeds benefit the Redondo Beach Police Foundation, with funds earmarked to purchase classroom emergency safety kits for all Redondo Beach schools. More information and a ticketing link can be accessed by clicking here.

-The Blues didn’t have the services of Jori Lehtera, Paul Stastny or Colton Parayko in their 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday but should receive at least two of the three back for tonight’s game.

Blues lines: Schwartz-Stastny-Tarasenko; Steen-Berglund-Perron; Jaskin-Barbashev-Paajarvi; Upshall-Brodziak-Reaves

— Tom Timmermann (@tomtimm) March 13, 2017

Blues defense: Bouwmeester-Pietrangelo, Edmundson-Parayko; Gunnarsson-Bortuzzo

— Tom Timmermann (@tomtimm) March 13, 2017

No Lehtera on ice. Schmaltz, Sanford, Yakupov are extras

— Tom Timmermann (@tomtimm) March 13, 2017

That’s not to say that Lehtera is “definitely out.” More information from Head Coach Mike Yeo will come when the team concludes its morning skate at Staples Center and will be updated here once available. (Also, for what it’s worth, Mike Smith is getting the start tonight in Glendale against Colorado. (Los Angeles plays Arizona at Staples Center tomorrow night.) UPDATE: Lehtera is definitely out. Parayko and Stastny are in. Jake Allen will start in goal.

-Tonight’s officials are referees Dean Morton and Eric Furlatt and linesmen Bevan Mills and Shane Heyer. Pia Toscano will sing the national anthem. Lots more to come today, Insiders. Seven bells.

For the first time since Staples Center opened in 1999, I'll be playing 🎹 in the crowd during tonight's @LAKings game (section 216/217)#GKG

— Dieter Ruehle (@DieterRuehle) March 13, 2017

Photos from today’s skate, courtesy of Jon Bradley: