Scouting the Blue Jackets

This is the first of four meetings this season between the Kings and the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Kings will look to end a five-game losing streak and record their first road victory since Nov. 22 at St. Louis. The Blue Jackets have struggled this season, but they had an eye-opening 2-1 shootout victory over Vancouver on Tuesday. In goal, the Blue Jackets are expected to start Curtis Sanford, who took over as the primary goalie for Steve Mason in mid-November and has a 2.44 goals-against average in 14 games this season. Samuel Pahlsson is expected to return to the Columbus lineup tonight, and the Blue Jackets are led by Rick Nash, who has nine goals, and Vinny Prospal, who has 26 points. For the latest on the Blue Jackets, check out the blog from the Columbus Dispatch, followed by the possible lineups for both teams…

Columbus Dispatch Blue Jackets blog

—–

KINGS LINEUP
Gagne-Kopitar-Brown
Penner-Stoll-Williams
Richardson-Loktionov-Lewis
Clifford-Fraser-Westgarth

Scuderi-Doughty
Martinez-Johnson
Drewiske-Greene

Quick
Bernier

—–

BLUE JACKETS LINEUP
Vinny Prospal-Jeff Carter-Rick Nash
Antonie Vermette-Derick Brassard-Ryan Johansen
RJ Umberger-Samuel Pahlsson-Dane Byers
Mark Letestu-Derek MacKenzie-Jared Boll

Fedor Tyutin-Nikita Nikitin
Marc Methot-James Wisniewski
John Moore-Grant Clitsome

Curtis Sanford
Steve Mason