Game preview

Need to catch up on today’s news and notes? Here’s my LAKings.com notebook from today, followed by the game preview, as written by NHL.com.

Dec. 26 notebook

Dec. 26 game preview

The Coyotes enter the game with a 14-5-0 home record, and two of those losses have come from the Kings. Phoenix, though, has won eight consecutive games at home. Here’s what Terry Murray said today about what’s important in the matchup against the Coyotes…

MURRAY: “Respecting what they bring, and their skill game and their speed. That’s the most important thing, I think, when you come in here, is to make sure you’re going to be a checking team with a scoring mentality. Primarily, you have to come and play well without the puck, because they are a puck-possession team. Their blue-line guys, Jovanovski, Yandle, every one of them, those guys are up on the attack every breakout.

“They really put a lot of stress on you defensively, and if you’re not in proper position, you’re going to give up two or three scoring chances on the rush. So, awareness of where you are on the ice, without the puck, is very important against this hockey club tonight.”