Game 12 Preview: Los Angeles at Carolina

Los Angeles Kings (6-3-2) vs Carolina Hurricanes (1-6-2)
Sunday, November 2, 2014, 2:00 p.m. PT
PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
Referees: #6 Francis Charron, #33 Kevin Pollock
Linesmen: #65 Pierre Racicot, #75 Derek Arnell
FOX Sports West, KABC 790 AM

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Quick
2014-15: 9 GP (9 GS) / 5-2-2 record / 2.03 GAA / .943 Sv% / 2 SHO
Career vs Carolina: 2 (2) / 2-0-0 / 0.96 / .962 / 0
Last Game vs Carolina: 3/1/14 / 60 MP / 24-25 shots / 3-1 W
2014-15, Away: 3 (3) / 0-1-2 / 3.22 / .915 / 0

Carolina Projected Starting Goaltender – Cam Ward*
2014-15: 5 GP (5 GS) / 1-3-1 record / 3.17 GAA / .872 Sv% / 1 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 4 (4) / 2-0-2 / 1.69 / .935 / 0
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 10/11/13 / 65 MP / 36-37 shots / 1-2 SOL
2014-15, Home: 3 (3) / 1-1-1 / 2.62 / .896 / 1

*Neither team skated this morning, so there’s no way to get a firm read on the starting goaltenders. Via Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer, Coach Bill Peters liked the lineup he had last night, which included a 25-save shutout performance by Cam Ward. Should we see Jonathan Quick and/or Anton Khudobin, this area will be updated after the team takes the ice for warm-ups. UPDATE, 3:50 pm: Ward will start for Carolina, per Chip Alexander.

2014-15 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Tyler Toffoli (6-8=14)
Goals: Tanner Pearson (7-2=9)
Assists: Tyler Toffoli (6-8=14)
Plus/Minus: Tyler Toffoli (+12; 6-8=14)
Penalty Minutes: Mike Richards (33; 1-3=4)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (27:37; 0-5=5)
Corsi-For Percentage: Jake Muzzin (63.68%; 0-0=0)

2014-15 Carolina Leaders
Total Points: Jiri Tlusty (6-2=8)
Goals: Jiri Tlusty (6-2=8)
Assists: Riley Nash (2-4=6), Justin Faulk (0-4=4)
Plus/Minus: Zach Boychuk (+2; 1-1=2)
Penalty Minutes: Jay Harrison (27; 1-2=3)
Time On Ice: Justin Faulk (22:13; 0-4=4)
Corsi-For Percentage: John-Michael Liles (60.84%; 0-1=1)

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – 25 / 2.27; CAR – 27 / 2.00
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 8 / 2.09; CAR – 26 / 3.44
Power Play: LAK – 23 / 14.3%; CAR – 8 / 21.4%
Penalty Kill: LAK – t-18 / 80.5%; CAR – t-15 / 81.2%
Shots/Game: LAK – t-18 / 29.4; CAR – 29 / 26.2
Shots Against/Game: LAK – t-27 / 35.6; CAR – 7 / 27.3
Faceoffs: LAK – 9 / 51.4%; CAR – 5 / 53.4%
Save Percentage: LAK – 2 / .938; CAR – 30 / .874
Corsi-For Percentage: LAK – 17 / 50.3%; CAR – 20 / 49.1%

Los Angeles Projected Lines

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

Jake Muzzin – Drew Doughty
Robyn Regehr – Alec Martinez
Brayden McNabb – Matt Greene

Martin Jones
Jonathan Quick

Level of confidence in projected lines: D. Ouch, the first non-passing grade of the year. For afternoon games, the #LAKingsGoalieTweetOff takes place at practice the day before. But because the team was originally scheduled to skate at PNC Arena this morning – and sent a notice upon arrival in North Carolina that the skate was canceled – I didn’t pay close attention to the goalie that left the ice first during yesterday’s practice in Detroit. So, take your pick. Quick or Jones. I’ve got a 51% Martin Jones hunch. Anze Kopitar is expected to make his return to the lineup one week after suffering an upper-body injury against Columbus. Jordan Nolan will serve the first game of a two-game suspension. Marian Gaborik is getting closer, but it’s still probably too much to expect that he’d draw into this evening’s lineup. Based on that information, I’m leaning on the lines that were utilized during yesterday’s practice, even if it means Andy Andreoff (who has more experience as a LW and C) slots in on the right side on the fourth line.

Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 33-26-10 all-time against the Carolina/Hartford franchise, a record that includes a road mark of 13-15-7. The teams will conclude their season series on November 20 at Staples Center. … The Kings are 2-2-1 in a six-game stretch against Eastern Conference Teams (2-0 W vs BUF, 5-2 W vs CBJ, 2-3 OTL @ PHI, 0-3 L @ PIT, 2-5 L @ DET; 11/2 @ CAR). … Los Angeles is 1-1-1 against the Metropolitan Division. … After having killed off 18 consecutive power plays entering last Sunday’s game, the Kings have allowed five power play goals on 16 opportunities over the last four games. … Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli have posted even-or-better ratings in all 11 games this season. … Toffoli, who leads the NHL with three shorthanded goals, became the fastest player in Kings history to record three shorthanded goals. Previously, Mike Murphy scored three shorthanded goals in 12 games in 1976-77. The team’s individual record for shorthanded goals in a season is eight, held by Bernie Nicholls. The team record for total shorthanded goals in one season is 22. Both records were set in 1988-89. … Dean Lombardi is one point from surpassing Dave Taylor (685 points) for the most points attained as Kings General Manager in club history. … By playing his 454th career game tonight, Drew Doughty will tie Jaroslav Modry for eighth place on the club’s all-time defenseman games played list. … The Kings are 4-0-0 when scoring on the power play, 5-0-1 when allowing zero power play goals, and 6-0-0 when allowing two goals or less. … Anze Kopitar has seven points (3-4=7) in seven career games against the Hurricanes. … Jeff Carter has 25 points (13-12=25) in 26 games against the Hurricanes. … This is Justin Williams’ fourth trip back to Carolina following his 2009 trade to Los Angeles. A 2006 Stanley Cup winner with the Hurricanes, Williams has one goal and three points in his three previous trips to Raleigh. In 265 games with Carolina, Williams totaled 201 points (81-120=201). He had 18 points (7-11=18) during the Hurricanes’ 25-game march to the 2006 Stanley Cup and represented the Eastern Conference at the 2007 All-Star Game.

Carolina Projected Lines

Jiri Tlusty – Eric Staal – Jeff Skinner
Brad Malone – Jay McClement – Patrick Dwyer
Chris Terry – Victor Rask – Zach Boychuk
Nathan Gerbe – Riley Nash – Elias Lindholm

Andrej Sekera – Justin Faulk
Ron Hainsey – Brett Bellemore
Jay Harrison – Tim Gleason

Cam Ward
Anton Khudobin

Notes and milestones: Jordan Staal has a broken bone in his right leg and has missed eight games out of what has been projected as a three-to-four month recovery period. … Alexander Semin and John-Michael Liles were healthy scratches last night and may not draw back in today. “I want competitive players. I want to compete, and I want to play with speed,” Bill Peters told CarolinaHurricanes.com. “I thought we had speed tonight. I knew with Gerbe and Patty Dwyer coming in, that would give us more speed,” he said. “If you’re not going to move your feet and work and play, it doesn’t matter who you are. If you put your skill in front of your will and your ability to work, it’s tough way to make a living.” … Carolina is 4-2-2 in eight home games against Los Angeles since PNC Arena opened in 1999. … Seven of the last nine meetings between the teams have been decided by one goal, including the Kings’ 2-1 shootout win in Raleigh last season. … The Hurricanes have killed off 22 of the last 24 power plays over the last seven games. … Nathan Gerbe has four assists in four career games against Los Angeles. … Tim Gleason, who was traded to Carolina along with Eric Belanger in exchange for Jack Johnson and Oleg Tverdovsky on September 29, 2006, appeared in 125 games with the Kings in 2003-04 and 2005-06, totaling two goals, 28 points and 98 penalty minutes. Having signed with Carolina in July following a January trade to Toronto, Gleason appeared in his 500th game with the Hurricanes in last night’s 3-0 win over Arizona.