Projected lineups for Kings-Ducks; Times hires Curtis Zupke for Kings beat

This becomes a touch more difficult to post from China (shakes fist at faulty computer VPN; lovingly caresses working iPhone VPN) as I am unable to simply embed Twitter posts, but here are the projected lineups for tonight’s Kings-Ducks tilt at the Honda Center, which will be broadcast on Prime Ticket at 7:00 p.m. and carried by Nick Nickson and Joey Zakrzewski on KABC 790.

First, the Los Angeles lineup, as shared by LA Times Kings beat writer Curtis Zupke*:

Prust-Sutter-Maillet
Iafallo-Loktionov-Auger
Harper-Amadio-Crescenzi
Luff-Anderson-Dolan-Imama

Gravel-Clague
Lee-Lintuniemi
Roy-Leslie

Zakrzewski noted that Jack Campbell and Cal Petersen will split time in the Kings net. Mike Stothers and his staff, which includes David Bell and Jaroslav Modry, will be behind the Los Angeles bench.

And, lo, Anaheim, via Eric Stephens:

Cogliano-Rakell-Silfverberg
Ritchie-Vermette-Kase
Wagner-Hults-Shaw
Liambas-Grant-Sabourin

Beauchemin-Montour
Pettersson-Manson
Megna-Bieksa

Stephens says that John Gibson will start; it’s not yet known whether he’ll go the distance.

*Here’s a huge stick tap to Curtis Zupke, the former Kings NHL.com reporter who also has also worked part time covering the Ducks for the LA Times. Curtis was recently promoted to serve as the Times’ Kings beat writer, which means we’ll be spending a lot of quality time across cold press boxes in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver (and places far more temperate). That will provide enough time to compile a list of the best Grateful Dead shows from 1977 and 1978, an endeavor that surely FOX Sports West producer Stephen Dorfman can get behind.

Curtis is well prepared and a tireless worker who exudes pristine reporting ethics. This promotion is a natural extension of the work he has been doing in covering both Southern California NHL teams this decade. Working two teams’ beats is not an easy task, given the relationships one must build and the attention to detail necessary to provide an accurate, accountable and steady stream of information. Stick taps all around to Zupke; hopefully his Huskers don’t start out 1-3.

-Lead photo via Debora Robinson/NHLI