Los Angeles Kings @ Columbus Blue Jackets - 10/17/09 - 4PM

johnjm22 · 10-17-2009, 05:20 AM

.

Los Angeles Kings
(4-3-0, 8 pts)

VS.

Columbus Blue Jackets
(4-1-0, 8 pts)

4:00PM (PST) @ Nationwide Arena Columbus, OH

TV Broadcast: FS-W (Away), FS-O (Home)
Radio Broadcast: KTLK 1150 AM, XM 238
Online Video Stream: TBA

GAME PREIVEW

Season series -- The teams are meeting for the first time this season. They split their four games last season, with the Kings winning the first two by 3-0 scores, and the Jackets winning the next two 3-0 and 5-4. Columbus is 10-5-1 against the Kings at Nationwide Arena.

Big Story -- Both teams are off to good starts, though the Kings have hit a couple of bumps on their long road trip. They started off 4-1-0 but lost in New York on Wednesday and Detroit on Thursday. The Blue Jackets are playing like a team that plans to return to the playoffs -- they're 4-1-0 and coming off a 2-1 home victory over Calgary on Tuesday.

Team Scope
Kings -- Back-to-back losses to the Rangers and Red Wings have cooled down the Kings, who had won four of their first five. One of the culprits was less-than-impressive goaltending. Neither Erik Ersberg (in New York) nor Jonathan Quick (in Detroit) played well.

"Goaltending is critical," coach Terry Murray told the team's Web site after Friday’s practice, "and our goaltending last night (against Detroit) has to be better, and it has to be better against the New York Rangers. That’s a fact of the business, period. I told the players, the two goaltenders, that, and that’s just the way it is. We have to put more demands on ourselves."

Murray is shuffling his defensemen, moving Davis Drewiske up to play with Drew Doughty and shifting Sean O'Donnell to play with Matt Greene.

Blue Jackets -- As is to be expected of a Ken Hitchcock-coached team, the Blue Jackets are doing it with defense. They've allowed only 11 goals in five games -- six of them in their only loss, at San Jose on Oct. 8. Columbus has rebounded from that loss by allowing just one goal in its next two games -- a 2-0 shutout at Phoenix on Oct. 10 and a 2-1 win over Calgary on Oct. 13.

"We all have these ideas about how a team is going to play and how you want to play, but then you find out, you gotta drag one guy in at a time," Hitchcock told the Globe and Mail. "As much as you want your team to play committed and everything, it’s like you pull in one guy one day and one guy the next day and that’s what we’re doing. We’re trying to get to the level, where every player feels committed to compete for every puck every day on every shift."

Who's Hot -- The Kings' top line of Anze Kopitar between Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams has been one of the best in the League. Kopitar's 11 points were tied for second in the League, and the trio had 27 points in L.A.'s seven games. … Columbus' Rick Nash continues to round out his game. Nash had 2 goals and 7 assists in the Jackets' first five games. He had just one assist in the whole month of October 2008.

Stat Pack -- The Blue Jackets are helping themselves by staying out of the penalty box and excelling on the penalty kill during the rare occasions the opposition gets a power play. Columbus allowed just 19 man-advantages in its first five games and surrendered only one power-play goal for a League-leading .947 percentage.

Puck Drop -- Don't expect a lot of offense. The Jackets have won both their home games by the same score -- 2-1 -- and the Kings will have to work hard to generate much against one of the NHL's best defensive teams.

-- John Kreiser, NHL.com

http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2009020100

INJURIES

LOS ANGELES
Alec Martinez - Lower body (Out until at least mid-October)
Teddy Purcell - Flu-like symptoms (day-to-day)

COLUMBUS
Mike Commodore - Groin (IR. Out until at least late October)
Jan Hejda - Knee (IR. Out until at least mid-November)
Fredrik Modin - Knee (IR. Out until at least late October)

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

RECENT MEETINGS

03/03/09 - LAK @ CBJ 5-4 (Blue Jackets)
12/29/08 - CBJ @ LAK 2-0 (Blue Jackets)
12/23/08 - LAK @ CBJ 3-0 (Kings)
12/06/08 - CBJ @ LAK 3-0 (Kings)

*Kings All-Time Record vs Columbus: 15-13-1-3

http://kings.nhl.com/club/page.htm?bcid=27154

LEADING SCORERS

Forwards
Kopitar, LA - 11PTS (4 G / 7 A, +1)
Nash, CBJ - 9PTS (2 G / 7 A, +1)

Defensemen
Doughty, LA - 6PTS (2 G / 4 A, -1)
Klesla, CBJ - 4PTS (2 G / 2 A, -2)

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

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

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

Drewiske - Doughty
Johnson - Scuderi
O'Donnell - Greene

COLUMBUS
Huselius - Brassard - Nash
Umberger - Vermette - Voracek
Chimera - Pahlsson - Dorsett
Torres - Murray - Boll

Klesla - Methot
Tyutin - Stralman
Russell - Roy

PROBABLE STARTERS

Quick, LA - 6 GP (4-2-0)
GAA 3.18 / SV% .893

Mason, CBJ - 4 GP (3-1-0)
GAA 2.71 / SV% .916

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

TEAM STATS

GAA
LA – 3.43 (22nd)
CBJ – 2.20 (5th)

Avg. Goals For
LA – 3.29 (10th)
CBJ – 2.80 (T-18th)

Power Play %
LA – 24.2 (11th)
CBJ – 20.0 (T-17th)

Penalty Kill %
LA – 64.3 (28th)
CBJ – 94.7 (1st)

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

johnjm22 · 10-17-2009, 05:22 AM

Another tough game. I have a bad feeling about this one. We're definitely gonna have a hard time generating offense.

3-0 Jackets.

**Sydor25** · 10-17-2009, 05:43 AM

It's gonna be a bloodbath! 6-1 Jackets

RAZZIE King · 10-17-2009, 06:33 AM

3-1 Kings

rapots · 10-17-2009, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingLudwig

3-1 Kings

Yep, they'll miss Hejda, we play our game

Shellz · 10-17-2009, 10:35 AM

I will be at work which means Kings will win.

Knight of the Realm · 10-17-2009, 11:06 AM

I can't honestly say that I expect LA to win on any given night this year. Hoping for a win a good game from Quick.

Shellz · 10-17-2009, 11:07 AM

Moller has been called up!

cbjgirl · 10-17-2009, 11:10 AM

I come in peace...

Jackets' lines are a bit off. Should be:

F1: Huselius - Brassard - Nash
F2: Umberger - Vermette - Voracek
F3: Chimera - Pahlsson - Dorsett
F4: Torres - Murray - Boll

D1: Klesla - Methot
D2: Tyutin - Stralman
D3: Russell - Roy

Mason in net

aegwillnotwinthecup* · 10-17-2009, 11:35 AM

Apparently half our team is dying of swine flu as we speak, so I really don't expect them to do much. Maybe Handzus could score another goal off his balls, but that's about it.

2-1 Jackets.

**kingsholygrail** · 10-17-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Murray is shuffling his defensemen, moving Davis Drewiske up to play with Drew Doughty and shifting Sean O'Donnell to play with Matt Greene.

Why? Didn't this team have an effective D-man set up before it was juggled?

backhander · 10-17-2009, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aegwillnotwinthecup

Apparently half our team is dying of swine flu as we speak, so I really don't expect them to do much. Maybe Handzus could score another goal off his balls, but that's about it.

2-1 Jackets.

that's f-n hilarious...off his sac

BigKing · 10-17-2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingsholygrail

Why? Didn't this team have an effective D-man set up before it was juggled?

I was thinking during the Detroit game that they are trying to help Matt Greene's game by pairing him with the seasoned veteran. They probably feel Doughty is good enough now that he doesn't need to be helped along by O'Donnell.

I like the changes because Greene has not been as good as last season. He's trying to do too much and O'Donnell will help him play a simple game. Not the most foot-speed on that line but they are punishing.

JPFT · 10-17-2009, 01:12 PM

Goodness... I must say that, that news of the flu symptoms has me a bit worried. I hope and pray they all recover soon!

Please do well and win! GO KINGS GO!!!!

William H Bonney · 10-17-2009, 01:26 PM

Kings------4 (Johnson, Smyth, Moller, Brown)
Jackets----2 (Umberger, Huselius)

JDM · 10-17-2009, 01:33 PM

Pregame is up: http://lakingsnews.com/2009/10/17/pr...to-the-rescue/

Kings better win this one. There's only one kind of 3 game streak I can accept, and the Kings aren't in a position to get that kind tonight.

Moller will be FEISTY AND HUNGRY.

He will not want to go back to Manchester.

Martyros · 10-17-2009, 01:34 PM

What happened to Filatov?

DIEHARD the King fan · 10-17-2009, 01:37 PM

Very concerned about the drop in offensive production in the last 4 games.
Playing against a Hitchcock defense-first minded team, with the best PK in the league, our offense needs to shift into high gear and our defense/goaltending needs to be in top form.

Here's to hoping that it happens: Kings 5-3

DIEHARD the King fan · 10-17-2009, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigKing

I was thinking during the Detroit game that they are trying to help Matt Greene's game by pairing him with the seasoned veteran. They probably feel Doughty is good enough now that he doesn't need to be helped along by O'Donnell.

I like the changes because Greene has not been as good as last season. He's trying to do too much and O'Donnell will help him play a simple game. Not the most foot-speed on that line but they are punishing.

The lead foot D-line.

Black1963 · 10-17-2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigKing

I was thinking during the Detroit game that they are trying to help Matt Greene's game by pairing him with the seasoned veteran. They probably feel Doughty is good enough now that he doesn't need to be helped along by O'Donnell.

I like the changes because Greene has not been as good as last season. He's trying to do too much and O'Donnell will help him play a simple game. Not the most foot-speed on that line but they are punishing.

According to TM on Hammond's, it was more to do with the progression of 44DD than anything else.

On a sidenote, Hammonds just reported that the 4 ailing kings are Frolov, Richardson, Purcell and Williams. From what I'm reading, only Purcell may miss the game.

Kurrilino · 10-17-2009, 04:32 PM

This is a must win game.......

somehow it feels good, to expect a win.
Didn't had that feeling for a couple of years

Cruel11 · 10-17-2009, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Terry Murray just said that Brad Richardson will miss the game but the rest of the sick players will play. Murray said he hadn’t yet decided who would replace Richardson.

http://lakingsinsider.com/

LeanSixSigma · 10-17-2009, 04:48 PM

I came across free access to games but it is only for about another week. Here is the link so that you can watch tonight's game: http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/freebies/

You need to create an account but you can watch the game.

hauspaint · 10-17-2009, 05:09 PM

so our first d-pairing is DD-DD? that's a lot of Ds...

JT8888 · 10-17-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMK33

I came across free access to games but it is only for about another week. Here is the link so that you can watch tonight's game: http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/freebies/

You need to create an account but you can watch the game.

Dont see any stream with that link.

Anyone know of a stream that doesn't require signing up to anything?