Good morning from Toyota Sports Center, where the Kings’ morning skate offered some clues but not many firm indications towards tonight’s lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks.
-Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter took the option this morning, so there were no line rushes or an #LAKingsGoalieTweetOff. A line rush-type drill took part at the end of the skate; Anze Kopitar skated with Marian Gaborik and Tyler Toffoli, Andy Andreoff (likely filling in for Carter) skated with Tanner Pearson and Trevor Lewis, Jarret Stoll skated between Dustin Brown and Justin Williams, and Mike Richards centered Kyle Clifford and Dwight King in the team’s first rushes up and down the ice.
-Alec Martinez skated in place of Drew Doughty to Jake Muzzin’s right during several rushes. I’m not expecting any lineup hints from Darryl Sutter, but I’d be slightly surprised to see Martinez rejoin the lineup tonight. Jamie McBain skated alongside Robyn Regehr and Brayden McNabb alongside Matt Greene, though there were some interruptions of the pairings.
-Because Jonathan Quick didn’t take the ice, we won’t get a firm indication of Los Angeles’ starter in net until warm-ups. Normally a game against Chicago wouldn’t lead to any surprises, though Martin Jones is coming off a 28-save shutout in Minnesota. Given everything learned from the morning skate, I’ll predict the same lineup as the one that skated together at full strength on Wednesday night, though with Jonathan Quick in goal.
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