Game 44 Preview: Minnesota at Los Angeles

Los Angeles Kings (26-13-4) vs. Minnesota Wild (22-17-5)
Tuesday, January 7, 2014, 7:30 p.m. PT
STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA
Referees: #15 Jean Hebert, #33 Kevin Pollock
Linesmen: #86 Brad Lazarowich, #55 Shane Heyer
FOX Sports West, KEIB 1150 AM

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Quick
2013-14 Season: 17 GP (17 GS) / 11-5-0 record / 2.27 GAA / .909 Sv% / 1 SHO
Career vs Minnesota: 13 (13) / 8-3-2 / 2.56 / .896 / 0
Last Game vs Minnesota: 10/3/13 / 65 MP / 27-29 + 2/2 shots / 3-2 SOW
2013-14, Home: 10 (10) / 7-3-0 / 2.38 / .898 / 1

Minnesota Projected Starting Goaltender – Darcy Kuemper
2013-14 Season: 2 GP (1 GS) / 0-1-0 record / 6.13 GAA / .625 Sv% / 0 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 1 (0) / 0-0-0 / 1.05 / .917 / 0
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 4/4/13 / 57 MP / 11-12 shots / 0-3 L (ND)
2013-14, Away: 2 (1) / 0-1-0 / 6.13 / .625 / 0
-Kuemper, recalled from AHL-Iowa on January 2 as an emergency back-up, ranks second in the AHL with a .929 save percentage. The 2011 CHL Goaltender of the Year appeared in eight games with the Ontario Reign in 2011-12, posting a 1.74 goals-against average and .941 save percentage. He is 1-3-0 with a 2.77 goals against average and .882 save percentage in eight career NHL games.

2013-14 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Anze Kopitar (13-22=35)
Goals: Jeff Carter (15-11=26)
Assists: Anze Kopitar (13-22=35), Mike Richards (6-22=28)
Plus/Minus: Anze Kopitar (+22; 13-22=35)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (51; 3-2=5)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (25:38; 6-17=23)

2013-14 Minnesota Leaders
Total Points: Mikko Koivu (8-27=35)*
Goals: Jason Pominville (18-11=29)
Assists: Mikko Koivu (8-27=35)**
Plus/Minus: Nino Niederreiter (+8; 8-13=21)
Penalty Minutes: Clayton Stoner (39; 0-4=4)
Time On Ice: Ryan Suter (29:40; 5-24=29)
*amongst active players, Jason Pominville leads the team with 29 points (18-11=29).
**amongst active players, Ryan Suter leads the team with 24 assists (5-24=29).

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – 22 / 2.49; MIN – 28 / 2.30
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 1 / 2.02; MIN – 11 / 2.48
Power Play: LAK – 23 / 15.2%; MIN – 10 / 19.9%
Penalty Kill: LAK – 10 / 83.5%; MIN – 25 / 79.1%
Shots/Game: LAK – 10 / 31.2; MIN – t-26 / 27.3
Shots Against/Game: LAK – t-5 / 27.5; MIN – t-3 / 27.1
Faceoffs: LAK – 2 / 53.4%; MIN – 5 / 52.6%
Save Percentage: LAK – 2 / .926; MIN – t-16 / .909

Getty Images

Los Angeles Projected Lines

Dwight King – Anze Kopitar – Jeff Carter
Dustin Brown – Jarret Stoll – Justin Williams
Matt Frattin – Mike Richards – Tyler Toffoli
Kyle Clifford – Trevor Lewis – Jordan Nolan

Jake Muzzin – Drew Doughty
Willie Mitchell – Slava Voynov
Robyn Regehr – Alec Martinez

Jonathan Quick
Ben Scrivens

Level of confidence in projected lines: A. Matt Greene, Colin Fraser and Tanner Pearson remained on the ice for extra work with Ben Scrivens, so they’re likely out tonight. Jonathan Quick left the ice first at the morning skate.

Notes and milestones:
The Kings are 22-14-12 all-time against Minnesota, which includes a home record of 11-7-5. The teams last met on opening night (10/3/13; 3-2 SOW) and will conclude the season series on March 31 at STAPLES Center. … The Kings are 12-3-2 in their last 17 home games. … The Kings are 5-8-1 against the Central Division and 21-5-3 against everyone else. … The Kings have outscored opponents 36-22 in first periods this season. … The Kings have allowed nine goals in their last 30 shorthanded situations. … Since recording an assist 42 seconds into Los Angeles’ 7-4 win over Phoenix on October 24, Dustin Brown has gone 67:06 without recording a point on the power play. … Jeff Carter has 14 points (8-6=14) in the last 12 games. He is three games shy of 600 career games played and 100 games played with Los Angeles. … Justin Williams will play in his 799th career game tonight. … Willie Mitchell played 288 games with Minnesota from 2000-06.

Minnesota Projected Lines

Dany Heatley – Charlie Coyle – Jason Pominville
Nino Niederreiter – Mikael Granlund – Jason Zucker
Matt Cooke – Erik Haula – Justin Fontaine
Stephane Veilleux – Kyle Brodziak – Torrey Mitchell

Ryan Suter – Jonas Brodin
Marco Scandella – Nate Prosser
Clayton Stoner – Keith Ballard

Darcy Kuemper
Nicklas Backstrom

Notes and milestones: Lines via Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. … Zach Parise (foot), Josh Harding (illness), Jared Spurgeon (lower-body) and Mikko Koivu (ankle) are on injured reserve. Minnesota called up defenseman Jonathon Blum, a Long Beach native, as well as forward Erik Haula from AHL-Iowa yesterday. … Ryan Suter was named the NHL’s Third Star last week and became the first defenseman to record a hat trick since March 20, 2011 in a 5-3 win over Washington on Saturday. He scored four goals as part of a six-point, plus-6 performance in three games last week. … Minnesota Olympians include Ryan Suter (United States), Zach Parise (United States), Mikael Grandlund (Finland), Mikko Koivu (Finland) and Nino Niederreiter (Switzerland).

Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League

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