Game 73 Preview: Los Angeles at Washington

Los Angeles Kings (41-25-6) at Washington Capitals (34-27-11)
Tuesday, March 25, 2014, 4:00 p.m. PT
Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Referees: #6 Francis Charron, #28 Chris Lee
Linesmen: #71 Brad Kovachik, #92 Mark Shewchyk
Fox Sports West, KEIB AM 1150

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Martin Jones*
2013-14 Season: 16 GP (15 GS) / 10-5-0 record / 1.90 GAA / .932 Sv% / 3 SHO
Career vs Washington: First appearance
Last Game vs Washington: First appearance
2013-14, Away: 9 (9) / 6-3-0 / 2.22 / .930 / 1
*The Kings do not name starting goaltenders and did not hold a morning skate today. Jones is projected due to Jonathan Quick facing 32 shots on the first night of a back-to-back.

Washington Projected Starting Goaltender – Jaroslav Halak
2013-14 Season: 47 GP (45 GS) / 28-11-5 record / 2.21 GAA / .921 Sv% / 4 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 13 (13) / 6-6-1 / 2.25 / .918 / 2
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 3/20/14 / 64 MP / 27-28 shots / 2-1 SOL
2013-14, Home: 25 (25) / 16-5-3 / 2.36 / .912 / 3

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2013-14 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Anze Kopitar (22-37=59)
Goals: Jeff Carter (25-21=46)
Assists: Anze Kopitar (22-37=59)
Plus/Minus: Anze Kopitar (+27; 22-37=59)
Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (79; 3-4=7)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (25:56; 8-27=35)

2013-14 Washington Leaders
Total Points: Alex Ovechkin (46-23=69), Nicklas Backstrom (13-56=69)
Goals: Alex Ovechkin (46-23=69)
Assists: Nicklas Backstrom (13-56=69)
Plus/Minus: Dustin Penner (+22; 13-21=34)
Penalty Minutes: Tom Wilson (140; 3-7=10)
Time On Ice: John Carlson (24:30; 10-21=31)

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – 27 / 2.36; WAS – 13 / 2.76
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 1 / 2.04; WAS – 22 / 2.85
Power Play: LAK – t-25 / 14.9%; WAS – 2 / 23.6%
Penalty Kill: LAK – t-10 / 83.5%; WAS – t-18 / 81.6%
Shots/Game: LAK – t-7 / 31.5; WAS – t-16 / 29.8
Shots Against/Game: LAK – 3 / 26.4; WAS – 27 / 33.5
Faceoffs: LAK – 3 / 52.8%; WAS – 23 / 48.7%
Save Percentage: LAK – 2 / .923; WAS – t-10 / .915

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Los Angeles Projected Lineup:

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

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

Martin Jones
Jonathan Quick

Level of confidence in projected lines: B. The Kings didn’t hold a morning skate, so there’s no clear indication of tonight’s lines and pairings. Los Angeles alternated goaltenders in the last two instances of back-to-back games after Jonathan Quick started at San Jose and Phoenix on January 27-28. The lines above reflect the primary even strength lines that have been used since Friday’s practice.

Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 54-32-15 all-time against Washington, a record that includes a road mark of 23-18-8. The Kings have won six straight games against the Capitals, dating back to November 20, 2008. Los Angeles is 7-1-2 in the last 10 road games in the series and has not visited the Verizon Center since February 12, 2011, a 4-1 L.A. win in the fifth game of 10 consecutive games away from Staples Center. … The Kings have won six consecutive road games since a 3-0 setback at Phoenix on January 28. The franchise record for consecutive road wins is eight, set between December 18, 1974 and January 16, 1975. The franchise record for the longest consecutive point streak is 11, set between October 10, 1974 and December 11, 1974. … Los Angeles has killed 34 of the last 37 penalties, dating back to the third period in Colorado on February 26. … The Kings have allowed two goals or fewer in 48 of 72 games, posting a 37-5-6 record in those games. Alec Martinez has nine points (6-3=9) in the last 11 games. Anze Kopitar has 16 points (6-10=16) in the last 15 games. He is scheduled to appear in his 595th NHL game tonight, which would tie him with Ian Lapperierre for 12th place in games played in franchise history. With 195 career goals, he sits in eighth place on the franchise’s all-time goal scoring list, one goal ahead of Dustin Brown. … With 162 assists, Drew Doughty is one assist behind Marty McSorley for fifth place on the franchise’s all-time defensemen assist list. … Los Angeles has won 1,496 games in franchise history.

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Washington Projected Lines

Marcus Johansson – Jay Beagle – Alex Ovechkin
Evgeny Kuznetsov – Nicklas Backstrom – Troy Brouwer
Jason Chimera – Eric Fehr – Joel Ward
Dustin Penner – Chris Brown – Tom Wilson

Karl Alzner – John Carlson
Jack Hillen – Mike Green
Dmitry Orlov – Patrick Wey

Jaroslav Halak
Braden Holtby

Notes and milestones: Lines via NHL.com correspondent Adam Vingan … Washington’s 3-2 shootout win at San Jose on Saturday marked the team’s league-leading 12th win when trailing in the third period. The Capitals have scored a third period goal in five consecutive games. … With wins in San Jose and Anaheim and a shootout loss in Los Angeles, Washington became the second NHL team in 2013-14 to earn as many as five points on a road trip that included games against all three California teams. … The Capitals have killed 21 consecutive penalties and have not allowed a power play goal in six consecutive games. … Washington’s power play is 14-for-41 (34.1%) in the last 13 games, though it is 0-for-7 since Alex Ovechkin’s game-winning third period goal at Anaheim on March 18. … Ovechkin has one even strength goal since returning from the Winter Olympics, a February 27 game-winner against the Florida Panthers. Should the Kings hold him scoreless at even strength tonight, he will tie his career-long 13 game even strength goal drought, set during his 2005-06 rookie season. He has 21 points (12-9=21) and leads the NHL in goals (46), power play goals (20) and shots (351). His .62 goals per game rate ranks third all-time behind Mike Bossy (.76) and Mario Lemieux (.75). … Dustin Penner recorded 37 points (11-26=37) in 117 regular season games and 18 points (7-11=18) in 44 playoff games with the Kings from 2010-13. … Rookie Tom Wilson ranks fifth in the NHL in penalty minutes (140) and third amongst rookies in hits (164).

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