Game 66 Preview: Los Angeles at Calgary

Los Angeles Kings (37-22-6) at Calgary Flames (25-32-7)
Monday, March 10, 2014, 6:00 p.m. PT
Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB
Referees: #19 Gord Dwyer, #34 Brad Meier
Linesmen: #88 Mike Cvik, #78 Brian Mach
Fox Sports West, KEIB 1150 AM

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Martin Jones
2013-14 Season: 14 GP (13 GS) / 9-4-0 record / 1.88 GAA / .934 Sv% / 3 SHO
Career vs Calgary: First appearance
Last Game vs Calgary: First appearance
2013-14, Away: 8 (8) / 5-3-0 / 2.25 / .930 / 1

Calgary Projected Starting Goaltender – Joni Ortio
2013-14 Season: 4 GP (4 GS) /2-2-0 record / 2.03 GAA / .916 Sv% / 0 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 1 (1) / 0-1-0 / 2.06 / .917 / 0
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 2/27/14 / 58 MP / 22-24 shots / 2-0 L
2013-14, Home: 3 (3) / 2-1-0 / 2.02 / .926 / 0

2013-14 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Anze Kopitar (19-34=53)
Goals: Jeff Carter (24-19=43)
Assists: Anze Kopitar (19-34=53)
Plus/Minus: Anze Kopitar (+25; 19-34=53)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (70; 3-2=5)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (25:56; 8-23=31)

2013-14 Calgary Leaders
Total Points: Jiri Hudler (14-30=44)
Goals: Sean Monahan (19-10=29)
Assists: Jiri Hudler (14-30=44)
Plus/Minus: Mark Giordano (+3; 10-24=34)
Penalty Minutes: Brian McGrattan (95; 2-2=4)
Time On Ice: Mark Giordano (25:21; 10-24=34)

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – 26 / 2.35; CGY – 28 / 2.28
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 1 / 2.05; CGY – 25 / 2.94
Power Play: LAK – 24 / 14.7%; CGY – t-27 / 13.9%
Penalty Kill: LAK – 11 / 83.3%; CGY – 17 / 81.5%
Shots/Game: LAK – 10 / 31.3; CGY – 28 / 26.7
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 3 / 26.5; CGY – 9 / 28.6
Faceoffs: LAK – 2 / 52.9%; CGY – t-28 / 46.3%
Save Percentage: LAK – 2 / .923; CGY – 29 / .897

Flames coach Bob Hartley, on facing the Los Angeles Kings tonight:

Los Angeles Projected Lines

Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Justin Williams
Tyler Toffoli – Mike Richards – Jeff Carter
Dwight King – Jarret Stoll – Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford – Trevor Lewis – Tanner Pearson

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

Martin Jones
Jonathan Quick

Level of confidence in projected lines: B. With Jordan Nolan’s suspension, alterations will need to be made. Though I’m projecting Tyler Toffoli to remain alongside Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, it is also possible that Tanner Pearson will slot in as the second line left wing. Pearson received an occasional shift at right wing while in Manchester earlier this year, so the above alignment projects him as a fourth line right wing. Expect Tyler Toffoli to see some shifts on the right side, and Pearson to see some shifts on the left side. It is also possible that Matt Greene enters the lineup as a seventh defenseman, though I expect Pearson to assume Nolan’s spot in the lineup.

Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 87-107-25 all-time against the Calgary franchise, a record that includes an away mark of 33-62-15. The Kings have won five straight games at the Saddledome, dating back to February 5, 2011. Prior to this current streak, Los Angeles lost 10 straight road games in the series between March 29, 2006 and October 10, 2010. The two teams will conclude the season series at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday, April 9. … The Kings have won seven games in a row, the longest winning streak since a franchise record nine-game winning streak between January 21 and February 6, 2010 and the fourth-longest streak in club history. Los Angeles has outscored its opponents 22-10 during the streak. … Darryl Sutter has amassed 498 career wins, which ranks 19th on the NHL’s all-time wins list. He trails Terry Murray (499) by one win, Toe Blake (500) by two wins, and Pat Burns (501) by three wins. With 1,022 games coached, he trails his brother Brian Sutter (1,028) by six games for 17th place on the NHL’s all-time regular season games coached list. … The Kings’ power play has goals in four consecutive games for the first time since October 19 through December 7. The last time the power play recorded goals in five consecutive games was between April 6 and 21, 2013, when it recorded goals in eight consecutive games. … Los Angeles’ power play is 5-for-19 over the last six games. … The Kings have killed off 15 consecutive penalties. The last opponent to score a power play goal against the Kings was Colorado’s Andre Benoit, who scored during the second period of L.A.’s 6-4 win at the Pepsi Center on February 26. … Los Angeles is 20-0-0 when leading after two periods and 125-1-11 when leading after two periods, dating back to April 4, 2009. … Alec Martinez has a four game point streak (3-1=4), goals in three out of four games, and set a career high with his seventh goal of the season in Sunday’s 4-2 win at Edmonton. … Dustin Brown has six points in the last six games (2-4=6). With 193 career goals, he is one goal behind Mike Murphy for eighth place overall on the team’s goal scoring list. … With 192 career goals, Anze Kopitar is one goal behind Dustin Brown for ninth place overall on the team’s goal scoring list. … With 62 power play goals, Kopitar is one power play goal behind Wayne Gretzky for eighth place on the club’s power play goal list. … In seven career games against Calgary, Jake Muzzin has five points (1-4=5) and a plus-5 rating.

Calgary Projected Lines

Mike Cammalleri – Mikael Backlund – Lance Bouma
TJ Galiardi – Sean Monahan – Joe Colborne
Max Reinhart – Markus Granlund – Paul Byron
Ben Hanowski – Corban Knight – Brian McGrattan

Mark Giordano – TJ Brodie
Kris Russell – Chris Butler
Ladislav Smid – Tyler Wotherspoon

Joni Ortio
Joey MacDonald

Notes and milestones: Lines via NHL.com correspondent Aaron Vickers. … Expected to miss tonight’s game for Calgary are Curtis Glencross (high ankle sprain), David Jones (upper body), Kevin Westgarth (upper body), Jiri Hudler (lower body), Dennis Wideman (upper body), Karri Ramo (lower body) and Matt Stajan (personal). … The Flames are expected to use a lineup with seven rookies: F Joe Colborne, G Joni Ortio, D Tyler Wotherspoon, F Corban Knight, F Max Reinhart, F Sean Monahan, F Ben Hanowski and F Markus Granlund. Prior to Calgary’s last two games, the last time they dressed eight rookies in a game was December 10, 1996. … Mark Giordano has six points (1-5=6) in the last five games. … Joe Colborne has five points (3-2=5) in the last five games. … Sean Monahan leads all rookies with an 18.4% shooting percentage.