1/1 Preview: No Changes Expected + Vitals, Lizotte & Line, McLellan on Wolanin, Mexico City Camp

WHO: Los Angeles Kings (15-12-5) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (13-12-6)
WHAT: NHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME
WHEN: Saturday, January 1 @ 7:30 PM Pacific
WHERE: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: Bally Sports West – AUDIO – iHeart Radio – TWITTER: @DooleyLAK & @LAKings

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings return to action for the first time with the date reading 2022, as they host the Philadelphia Flyers this evening.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: The Kings and Flyers last met during the 2019-20 season, with each team winning the game played on home ice. In the game in Los Angeles, Adrian Kempe (1-1-2) and Anze Kopitar (0-2-2) each tallied two points for the Kings, a game that was played on New Year’s Eve. Forward Brendan Lemieux has faced Philadelphia as frequently as any other NHL opponent, with with Flyers set to become his solely most frequent opponent faced this evening.

KINGS VITALS: The Kings held an optional morning skate today, as has been the course on the day after a full-team practice, in advance of tonight’s game.

As we knew coming in, Jonathan Quick is tonight’s expected starter between the pipes. Assuming Quick does go tonight, he carries a 10-3-1 lifetime record against Philadelphia into the game, with a .944 save percentage and a 1.70 goals-against average. Quick’s splits against the Flyers are his best against any NHL opponent in terms of SV% and GAA.

Looking at the skaters, no changes are expected for tonight’s game, with all 20 individuals who suited up against Vancouver on Thursday expected to be available again this evening. The Kings gave Alex Turcotte his second career NHL game versus the Canucks, with the 20-year-old expected to retain his place in the lineup again today.

Lias Andersson and Jacob Moverare, who was recalled earlier today from the AHL’s Ontario Reign, are also options tonight if Todd McLellan chooses to make a lineup change. Here’s how the Kings lined up during yesterday’s practice, which we’ll assume remains consistent for tonight……until it doesn’t, that is –

Iafallo – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Grundstrom – Turcotte – Kupari
Lemieux – Lizotte – Kaliyev
Andersson

Anderson – Doughty
Wolanin – Roy
Bjornfot – Durzi
(Moverare)

Quick
Petersen

FLYERS VITALS: After a pair of overtime games on the 29th and 30th, a 3-2 win over Seattle and a 3-2 loss in San Jose, the Flyers had an off day yesterday. The team returned to the ice today for morning skate at STAPLES Center.

Goaltender Martin Jones is expected to get the start this evening for the Flyers, with regular starter Carter Hart in the NHL’s COVID Protocol. Jones was notoriously strong against the Kings last season, as a member of the San Jose Sharks, as he started all eight head-to-head matchups. All-time versus his former team, Jones is 19-6-3, with a .928 save percentage and a 2.24 goals-against average.

Per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports, here’s how the Flyers lined up last time out against San Jose –

James van Riemsdyk – Claude Giroux – Cam Atkinson
Max Willman – Kevin Hayes – Joel Farabee
Oskar Lindblom – Morgan Frost – Travis Konecny
Jackson Cates – Patrick Brown – Zack MacEwen

Ivan Provorov -Justin Braun
Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Keith Yandle – Nick Seeler (Kevin Connauton)

Martin Jones / Felix Sandstrom

Philadelphia is expected to make at least one lineup change, with defensemen Kevin Connauton expected to check in on the back end in place of Nick Seeler. The Flyers are also expected to be without one of their Top 6 centermen in Sean Couturier, who is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Philadelphia had three individuals test out of COVID Protocol today, but those players (Derick Brassard, Carter Hart and Scott Laughton) will meet the team tomorrow in Anaheim.

Notes –

Thin Lizzo
Let’s flashback to the Kings goal on Thursday. Think about how that play was started, as Blake Lizotte pestered Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes from the top of the circle all the way below the goal line, before he changed his focus to Luke Schenn in the corner, who promptly turned the puck over, leading to the goal.

That’s Lizotte’s game and that’s what he brings to the team on a nightly basis. Energy, effort and tenacity. Though undersized, Lizotte skates well and has provided a constant on the team’s fourth line just about every night. That line, with Arthur Kaliyev and Brendan Lemieux on the wings, has been together as frequently as all three players have been available, giving Todd McLellan the reliable option the team lacked last season.

“Our line’s identity is being hard to play against, tenacity, a forechecking line that gets pucks to the net,” Lizotte said. “Last game was good for us and we put one in the net so that felt good.”

Lizotte understands that his role isn’t always to provide offense, but rather to create energy and transfer momentum. Too often last season, the fourth line ceded that momentum, but with the new-look unit so far here in the 2021-22 campaign, that hasn’t been the case.

That’s created a lot of value for that trio, as they’ve all consistently remained in the lineup, separating only due to Lemieux and Lizotte entering into COVID Protocol at different times, plus Lemieux’s suspension earlier in the month. That consistency and value were both on display against Vancouver on Thursday, as Lizotte played more even-strength minutes than he has in any game so far this season.

McLellan noted yesterday that when that line is playing their best, they serve as the team’s third line, rather than the fourth. That was the case on Thursday.

“For [Lizotte], I think he’s talking about will, he wills himself into the fight each night,” McLellan added today. “When he’s going well, and Lemieux and Arty are going well, they pull everybody into the game. When they’re not going well, we miss them, that’s how important they’ve become.”

As they progress forward, the key to success remains just about the same – simplicity.

When Lizotte’s line plays their style of hockey, making simple plays and providing a spark, they’ve been important and effective. Staying true to their identity and not overcomplicating things is their key to maintaining that success moving forward.

“For us, defensively, we’ve been taking care of the defensive zone first,” he said. “As a fourth line, obviously you want to score goals, but ultimately we’re out there to provide energy and chip in with offense when we can. I think, for us, it’s staying simple and that’s been a key for us. When we play simple and get pucks back, we play well. When we try to play fancy and make plays that are a little bit out of our skillset, things go bad. I think keeping it simple for us has been huge.”

Sister Christian (Wolanin)
If we’re looking at statistical performances from Thursday’s game, how about defenseman Christian Wolanin, who McLellan called “excellent” after his play against the Canucks.

In 18:49 of even-strength ice time, Wolanin was on the ice for 28 shot attempts for compared to just 13 against. The 26-year-old defenseman was also heavily on the right side of scoring chances (16 For, 7 Against) and high-danger chances (9 For, 2 Against). He also collected his first assist as a member of the Kings, giving him points in two of his last three games.

A pretty darn good second game back, following a night that had some struggles.

“It was significantly different [for Wolanin] from Vegas to Vancouver,” McLellan said earlier today. “The calculated risk that he played with in one game, versus the other, was significantly better and his game was way better.

McLellan noted that he and Wolanin had a conversation following practice on December 29 to talk about the things that will keep him at the NHL level. Early returns on that conversation were quite good.

So, what ARE the things that will keep Wolanin at the NHL level?

First and foremost, it’s playing to his strengths, while also continuing to improve on his weaknesses. Wolanin is a puck-moving defenseman, who has poise and creativity with the puck on his stick. Like several before him, the other side of the coin is defensive play and physicality against bigger, stronger players.

“He sees the ice and he moves pucks well, he’s got a creative side to him, he’s got some poise with the puck,” McLellan said. “All of those things have to show up on a daily basis. What hurts Christian sometimes, is he’s not the biggest individual, his physicality isn’t his strength, can he improve in those areas. I think, above all, the thing for him is his brain. He’s got to read and react at the right times, as everybody does.”

Sean Durzi spoke the other day about having to adjust his game to defend differently at the NHL level than he did in the AHL or the OHL. That applies with Wolanin as well, and more nights like Thursday’s will go a long way towards continuing his stay in the everyday lineup.

Lastly, take a look inside the Kings recent trip to Mexico City, where the Kings organized a camp across the Southern border for local youth players!

Kings and Flyers, tonight at 7:30 PM for the first time in 2022!