Game 31 Preview: Los Angeles at Toronto

Los Angeles Kings (15-10-5) at Toronto Maple Leafs (17-9-3)
Sunday, December 14, 2014, 2:00 p.m. PT
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
Referees: #32 Tom Kowal, #22 Ghislain Hebert
Linesmen: #92 Mark Shewchyk, #97 Jean Morin
Fox Sports West, KABC 790 AM

Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Quick
2014-15: 23 GP (23 GS) / 12-7-4 record / 2.13 GAA / .931 Sv% / 3 SHO
Career vs Toronto: 4 (4) / 2-2-0 / 2.73 / .907 / 0
Last Game vs Toronto: 3/13/14 / 59 MP / 26-29 shots / 2-3 L
2014-15, Away: 9 (9) / 2-4-3 / 3.06 / .909 / 0

Toronto Projected Starting Goaltender – James Reimer*
2014-15: 10 GP (8 GS) / 5-3-0 record / 3.31 GAA / .908 Sv% / 0 SHO
Career vs Los Angeles: 3 (2) / 2-0-1 / 1.45 / .962 / 0
Last Game vs Los Angeles: 3/13/14 / 40 MP / 31-31 shots / 3-2 W
2014-15, Home: 5 (3) / 2-1-0 / 3.56 / .899 / 0
*Toronto hasn’t named a starting goaltender. Reimer is projected after Jonathan Bernier started last night and because of these comments made by Head Coach Randy Carlyle to the National Post.

2014-15 Los Angeles Leaders
Total Points: Tyler Toffoli (10-13=23)
Goals: Tanner Pearson (11-3=14)
Assists: Drew Doughty (3-14=17)
Plus/Minus: Tyler Toffoli (+15; 10-13=23)
Penalty Minutes: Matt Greene (38; 2-1=3)
Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (28:47; 3-14=17)
Corsi-For Percentage: Jake Muzzin (58.1%; 2-13=15)

2014-15 Toronto Leaders
Total Points: Phil Kessel (15-15=30)
Goals: Phil Kessel (15-15=30)
Assists: Phil Kessel (15-15=30), Mike Santorelli (5-15=20), Dion Phaneuf (1-15=16)
Plus/Minus: Mike Santorelli (+15; 5-15=20), Dion Phaneuf (+15; 1-15=16)
Penalty Minutes: Dion Phaneuf (48; 1-15=16)
Time On Ice: Dion Phaneuf (23:31; 1-15=16)
Corsi-For Percentage: Nazem Kadri (49.7%; 8-10=18)

Rankings and Statistics
Goals/Game: LAK – 17 / 2.60; TOR – 1 / 3.38
Goals Against/Game: LAK – 3 / 2.20; TOR – t-19 / 2.79
Power Play: LAK – 20 / 15.8%; TOR – 12 / 20.4%
Penalty Kill: LAK – 11 / 82.9%; TOR – 10 / 83.3%
Shots/Game: LAK – t-6 / 31.4; TOR – 14 / 30.2
Shots Against/Game: LAK – t-18 / 29.9; TOR – 26 / 33.4
Faceoffs: LAK – 12/ 51.0%; TOR – 14 / 50.4%
Save Percentage: LAK – 3 / .927; TOR – t-11 / .916
Corsi-For Percentage: LAK – 4 / 52.9%; TOR – 27 / 46.1%

Los Angeles Projected Lines

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

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

Jonathan Quick
Martin Jones

Level of confidence in projected lines: A-. There was no morning skate today; this alignment is based on yesterday’s practice line rushes. Jonathan Quick left the ice first at practice and is expected to start in net against Toronto.

Notes and milestones: The Kings are 61-58-22 all-time against the Maple Leafs, a record that includes an away mark of 26-34-12. Los Angeles is on a franchise-record four-game winning streak in Toronto, dating back to December 6, 2005. The Kings are 7-2-1 in the last 10 road games in the series and have points in a franchise-record seven straight games at the Air Canada Centre, dating back to January 29, 2000. These teams will conclude the season series at Staples Center on January 12, 2015. … Los Angeles is 6-6-2 against the Eastern Conference and 4-3-0 against the Atlantic Division. … The Kings have averaged 2.94 goals per game over their last 16 games (47 G / 16 GP). … Jake Muzzin has 15 points (2-13=15) in the last 17 games. … By playing today, Drew Doughty will play the 473rd game of his career and move past Marty McSorley into sole possession of seventh place in games played by a Kings defenseman. … Los Angeles is 8-2-0 when scoring on the power play, 11-2-3 when allowing zero power play goals, 14-3-1 when allowing two goals or less and 12-0-3 when scoring the game’s first goal. … The Kings have out-shot opponents 326-280 and have outscored them 24-17 in third periods this season. … With 29 career game-winning goals, Dustin Brown is tied with Rob Blake for fourth overall on Los Angeles’ all-time list. … With 28 career game-winning goals, Anze Kopitar is tied with Mike Murphy and Butch Goring for fifth place on the Kings’ all-time list and sits one game-winning goal behind Rob Blake and Dustin Brown for fourth place. … Drew Doughty (2-2=4) has multi-point efforts in two consecutive games. He has six points (2-4=6) in six career games against Toronto. … Marian Gaborik has 23 points (13-10=23) in 19 career games against Toronto.

Toronto Projected Lines

James van Riemsdyk – Tyler Bozak – Phil Kessel
Daniel Winnik – Nazem Kadri – Mike Santorelli
Joffrey Lupul – Peter Holland – David Clarkson
David Booth – Trevor Smith – Richard Panik

Dion Phaneuf – Cody Franson
Jake Gardiner – Korbinian Holzer
Morgan Rielly – Stephane Robidas

James Reimer
Jonathan Bernier

Notes and milestones: Lines via NHL.com correspondent Mike Brophy … Toronto will be without Roman Polak (knee) and Leo Komarov (concussion). … The Maple Leafs have won four straight games, outscoring their opponents 15-5 (including one shootout goal) in the process. … Toronto has oustcored opponents 75-53 after first periods this season. Their 41 second period goals lead the league. … The Maple Leafs’ 11.14% shooting percentage ranks second in the league. … Toronto is 4-1-1 in the second half of back-to-back sets. They beat Detroit 4-1 last night. … The Maple Leafs (12-0-0) and Canadiens (11-0-0) are the league’s only undefeated teams when scoring first. … Toronto is 5-2-1 against the Western Conference. … Phil Kessel is tied for ninth in scoring with 30 points (15-15=30) in 29 games. His stretch of 393 consecutive games is the fifth-longest active stretch in the league. Kessel hasn’t missed a game since October 31, 2009 against Montreal. … Los Angeles native Brandon Kozun was selected in the sixth round, 179th overall, by the Kings in 2009. The veteran of 263 games with the Manchester Monarchs has one assist in six games with Toronto this season. … With 199 career assists, Stephane Robidas’ next assist will be the 200th of his career. … Phil Kessel has seven points (4-3=7) in seven career games against Los Angeles. … Jonathan Bernier, selected 11th overall by the Kings in 2006, appeared in 62 games with Los Angeles between 2007-13 and amassed a 29-20-6 record with a 2.36 goals-against average and six shutouts.