3/7 Preview – McLellan Returns in Boston! Lineup Options, Depth Scoring,

WHO: Los Angeles Kings (31-19-7) @ Boston Bruins (34-18-4)
WHAT: NHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME
WHEN: Monday, March 7 @ 4:00 PM Pacific (3:30 Pre-Game Show on BSW)
WHERE: TD Garden – Boston, MA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: Bally Sports West – AUDIO – iHeart Radio – TWITTER: @DooleyLAK & @LAKings

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings conclude their final East Coast swing of the season this evening, with a trip to Boston for a rematch against the Bruins.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Boston was the victor in Round 1 between these two teams, by a commanding 7-0 scoreline on February 28 in California. The last time the Kings were in Boston, they skated to an overtime victory over the Bruins, making it 3-1-1 from their last five trips to the state of Massachusetts.

KINGS VITALS: Coming off of the game yesterday in Buffalo, the Kings did not hold a morning skate today in Boston.

In keeping with the typical rotation of goaltenders, especially in back-to-back scenarios, expect to see Jonathan Quick between the pipes this evening for his 699th career appearance. Quick, who took the defeat seven days prior against Boston, is still 11-6-1 all-time versus the Bruins, with a .921 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average.

In terms of a potential lineup for this evening, the Kings currently have a pair of forwards – Viktor Arvidsson and Brendan Lemieux – who are considered to be day-to-day with lower-body injuries, with Lemieux missing out yesterday and Arvidsson sustaining his injury during the third period.

While we don’t have a full update on either player at this time, if neither is able to go, it leaves the Kings with exactly 12 healthy forwards on the trip, with Jacob Moverare the lone extra on the blueline. The Kings would likely insert Carl Grundstrom into tonight’s lineup at the forward position, with Jacob Moverare working as the lone scratch.

For reference, here’s yesterday’s lineup, which includes Arvidsson –

Today's @LAKings Line Rushes –

Anderson-Dolan – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Iafallo – Byfield – Brown
Athanasiou – Lizotte – Kaliyev

Anderson – Doughty
Maatta – Roy
Bjornfot – Durzi

Petersen
Quick

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 6, 2022

We could go 12 rounds thinking up potential line combinations for tonight, between the scenarios discussed above. One option the Kings could use is to bump Andreas Athansaiou up with Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore, with Athanasiou and Danault skating together earlier this season. That would then put Grundstrom in with Blake Lizotte and Arthur Kaliyev, more of a direct Brendan Lemieux replacement.

How the Kings start, however, may not be how they finish, so we’ll be on the lookout throughout the game for potential changes.

BRUINS VITALS: Boston has won seven of its last eight games entering tonight’s matchup, with a 4-3 defeat in Anaheim their lone blemish during that stretch.

Boston has opted to go with goaltender Jeremy Swayman in four of its last five outings, as well as 10 of its last 13, but Head Coach Bruce Cassidy indicated this morning that Linus Ullmark will get the nod between the pipes tonight. Throughout his NHL career, Ullmark is 4-0-0 against the Kings, with a .928 save percentage and a 1.71 goals-against average.

Per the Boston team account, here’s how the Bruins lined up last time out versus Columbus –

Laser's back in the lineup. pic.twitter.com/abK76NPfq1

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 6, 2022

Minus one move on the fourth line, with Curtis Lazar returning to action, that is the same alignment the Bruins have at Crypto.com Arena. Per Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is dealing with an upper-body injury and is a game-time decision. Defenseman Jack Ahcan would replace him in the above configuration if he is not able to go.

Notes –

Return Of The Mc(Lellan)
It’s Todd Time!

Following six games out of the “lineup”, in COVID Protocol, Head Coach Todd McLellan is with the team here in Boston and is set to make his return behind the Kings bench here this evening against the Bruins.

First, a stick tap to Trent Yawney, who won four of the six games he served as acting head coach for. Yawney has had an incredible influence on the young defensemen here this season and did a fine job in stepping into an elevated role when called upon. That certainly did not go unnoticed by McLellan, but neither did the work of the rest of the coaching staff, in addition to how the players handled a difficult situation.

“[The coaches] and the players too, let’s start with them, they knew what they had, how they had to behave and for the most part they were real good,” McLellan said this morning. “Yawns, Marco, DJ, Sam, Billy, they kept everybody organized. There’s the value or routine that we’ve established as a staff from Day 1, so that when somebody is gone, like Marco and Trent were earlier in the year, routine just keeps on going. Whoever is at the table that day just does his thing, keeps moving forward and there’s value there.”

For the first time in his career as a Head Coach, McLellan was looking on from afar for an extended stretch, rather than being behind the bench. It was viewing on television for the bench boss, forcing him to watch a different way and experience the game in a different way.

It’s common to ask players who return from injury if they learned anything new from watching games in the press box. It’s a different angle, one where you see or learn different things. McLellan didn’t get the 200-foot overview of the game, but rather the produced television feed, where he really learned the influence that the production and the announcers have on the viewer at home.

“It was watching the team play from a different angle,” McLellan said this morning. I think, when you watch it on TV and it just flows from play, to play, to play, commercials, comes back, without reviewing it in between periods, without being on the bench and having the emotional attachment that way, I found an individual’s view or perspective can be influenced by words, the broadcasters. Whether you agree with the broadcasters or not, you hear it, so you mind is starting to look for it. Sometimes I agreed with it, sometimes I disagreed with it, so I had to watch as if we were on the bench. It’s amazing influence how much influence that broadcaster have on the game, verbally.”

Now, he returns for a challenging road trip finale. The first result against Boston this season is well-documented, a lopsided scoreline that did not favor the Kings.

Two-Goal Team
Here’s a statistic for you.

In nine of the last 10 Kings victories, a player has scored at least two goals for the Kings in a winning effort. It’s been Viktor Arvidsson three of those nine times, and his status for tonight is obviously questionable, but the Kings have gotten production from others as well to showcase the depth of this team.

His linemates, Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore both did it once. Adrian Kempe did it three times as well, with Drew Doughty joining him in one of those games. Last game, it was Andreas Athanasiou who accomplished the feat in his first game back in the lineup. Not even included in that stat, as it was in a defeat, is Arthur Kaliyev, who did it against Dallas in the first game of the trip.

With Arvidsson questionable for this evening, it will depend on others to step up in his place.

Danault has a point on every game so far on this trip, while Trevor Moore has a pair of assists. The big names have been quiet, with Kopitar and Kempe combining for just one point, but others have picked up the slack.

Looking at Athanasiou, he’s returned to the lineup four times this season, either via an injury or a scratch. He’s collected a point in each of those four games, including goals in the third three, extended with his strikes yesterday in Buffalo. He scored on his Kings debut last season as well and has the offensive skillset to change a game at the snap of the fingers, gamebreaking ability. Can he turn yesterday’s strong reintroduction into a streak? The Kings would certainly benefit from it.

How about one of the younger players, such as Kaliyev, who had two excellent individual plays against the Stars, with the potential for two more had bounces gone his way. Jaret Anderson-Dolan has gotten an opportunity playing with Anze Kopitar over the last two games and has brought skating, energy and six shot attempts in total, with two scoring chances per game. He has the ability to turn some of those traits into production and will start tonight’s game on the same line.

Arvidsson has been a huge factor for the Kings here this season, so his production will be missed, assuming he is not in tonight.

Kings and Bruins, today at 4 PM Pacific time, final game of the season on the road against Eastern Conference opposition, before we head home for 9 of the next 10 in California.