Los Angeles Kings @ New York Rangers - 10/14/09 - 4PM

johnjm22 · 10-14-2009, 10:50 AM

.

Los Angeles Kings
(4-1-0, 8 pts)

VS.

New York Rangers
(5-1-0, 10 pts)

4:00PM (PST) @ Madison Square Garden New York, NY

TV Broadcast: FS-W (Away), MSG (Home)
Radio Broadcast: KTLK 1150 AM, XM 204
Online Video Stream: ATDHE.NET

GAME PREIVEW

Season Series -- In their only meeting last season, the Rangers won 3-2 in overtime in Los Angeles. Michael Rozsival scored on a penalty shot and scored again in overtime to carry the Blueshirts. The Kings have won four of the last six meetings, including their last three visits to Manhattan; they haven't lost at Madison Square Garden since Nov. 28, 2000.

Big Story -- It's a battle of teams that have combined to win nine straight games after losing their season openers. The Rangers have won five straight and the Kings have won four in a row. This is New York's third game in four nights, while Los Angeles is playing its third game of a six-game road trip.

TEAM SCOPE
Kings -- A lot of prognosticators were calling for big things from L.A. this season, and so far they've been right. But Ryan Smyth and the Kings aren't getting too far ahead of themselves.

"It's a great feeling, but we don't want to ride our highs too high and our lows too low," Smyth said after Monday's 2-1 win on Long Island. "We want to stay pretty even keel and enjoy our time."

After allowing six goals in a loss to the Coyotes to start the season, goaltender Jon Quick has allowed only 9 goals in 4 games, all wins.

"He is playing better every game," Kings coach Terry Murray said of Quick, who was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week.

Rangers -- There have been a lot of reasons for the hot start. Marian Gaborik (5 goals, 4 assists) has been worth every penny. The defense has been putting pucks in the net. But for coach John Tortorella, it's all about not letting up in the third period.

"We have had some good third periods ... and I think conditioning had something to do with it," Tortorella said after the Rangers' 7-2 win against Toronto on Monday.

The Rangers have outscored opponents in the third period 11-3 this season, and have won seven straight at Madison Square Garden dating to last season.

Who's Hot -- It's hard to tell if Gaborik is hot when he's been at the same temperature all season. If someone hasn't been cold, is there a way to tell if they're hot? For the Kings, Quick has won four straight, and Anze Kopitar has 4 goals and 6 assists out of the gate.

Stat Pack -- The Rangers have received 10 goals from defensemen this season, which equals or eclipses the goal totals of five teams.

Puck Drop -- This is the first of a four-game, six-day road schedule for the Kings. After they leave New York, it's off to Detroit, Columbus and Dallas before finally returning home to Los Angeles.

-- Dave Lozo, NHL.com

http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2009020076

INJURIES

LOS ANGELES
Alec Martinez - Lower body (Questionable for Oct. 14 at N.Y. Rangers)

NEW YORK
None.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/injuries

RECENT MEETINGS

12/17/08 - NYR @ LAK 3-2 (Rangers, OT)

*Kings All Time Record against vs the Rangers: 42-61-16-2

http://kings.nhl.com/club/page.htm?bcid=27159

LEADING SCORERS

Forwards
Kopitar, LA - 10PTS (4 G / 6 A, +2)
Gaborik, NYR - 9PTS (5 G / 4 A, +7)

Defensemen
Doughty, LA - 6PTS (2 G / 4 A, +3)
Del Zotto, NYR - 5PTS (2 G / 3 A, +1)

http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

LOS ANGELES
Smyth - Kopitar - Williams
Purcell - Stoll - Brown
Frolov - Handzus - Simmonds
Ivanans - Richardson - Harrold

O'Donnell - Doughty
Johnson - Scuderi
Drewiske - Greene

NEW YORK
Prospal - Dubinsky - Gaborik
Higgins - Drury - Callahan
Avery - Anisimov - Lisin
Brashear - Boyle - Kotalik

Staal - Girardi
del Zotto - Rozsival
Gilroy - Redden

PROBABLE STARTERS

Ersberg, LA - 0 GP (0-0-0)
GAA 0.00 / SV% .000

Lundqvist, NYR - 5 GP (4-1-0)
GAA 2.42 / SV% .919

http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm

TEAM STATS

GAA
LA – 3.00 (T-17th)
NYR – 2.00 (T-3rd)

Avg. Goals For
LA – 3.80 (T-3rd)
NYR – 4.00 (T-1st)

Power Play %
LA – 33.3 (T-4th)
NYR – 22.6 (14th)

Penalty Kill %
LA – 63.2 (T-27th)
NYR – 86.2 (6th)

http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm

WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

http://www.nhl.com/ice/standings.htm...=nav-stn-confy

NHL GAMES TODAY

http://www.nhl.com/ice/schedulebyday...=nav-sch-today

SLang · 10-14-2009, 10:56 AM

Nice GDT as usual! GO KINGS!

Officially banishing myself from the board for the rest of the day so I can haul ass at work and get home by 4:00!

**HatTrick Swayze** · 10-14-2009, 11:04 AM

Very nice GDT.

Been pulling for you guys in the west for a few years, though I may have to root against you tonight.

Here's to a good game.

johnjm22 · 10-14-2009, 11:06 AM

I'll be keeping my eye on Brown today. He seems to up his game when playing against the Rangers. Being an NY native probably has something to do with it.

BehindEnemyLines · 10-14-2009, 11:12 AM

Nice GDT!

Im looking forward to this game. We dont see these eastern teams as much and the Rangers are on a role. LETS GO KINGS!

LamoTheKid · 10-14-2009, 11:21 AM

Good luck tonight guys, obviously I'm pulling for my boys, but the Kings have been pretty fun to watch so far this year.

JL4L · 10-14-2009, 11:30 AM

Got some money and some vcash riding on the Kings tonight. Don't disappoint!

Prusted · 10-14-2009, 11:42 AM

Should be fun tonight. I love the amount of awesome youth your team has. Unfortunately not rooting for them tonight.

Cutty Sarkn3ss* · 10-14-2009, 11:50 AM

Wow, lots of NY fans posting.

It seems like NHL.com was hyping this game up yesterday with all the articles on the Kings/Rangers/Kopitar/Staal/Avery, etc.

Let's go Kings!!!

DIEHARD the King fan · 10-14-2009, 11:55 AM

Thanks for the GDT, as always. Here's to a good game and a King win 4-3

Defgarden · 10-14-2009, 12:02 PM

Shame I won't be able to watch the game. Hopefully the radio doesn't cut out before I get home at 6:30. The signal gets unlistenable by the time I get to my apartment.