Kings host Bruins in meeting of recent Cup champs

BRUINS (28-13-2) at KINGS (26-13-5)

TV: NESN, FS-W

Last 10: Boston 6-4-0; Los Angeles 4-5-1

Season series: This is the first game between the Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings this season. The teams will play again Jan. 20 in Boston. They last faced each other in the 2011-12 season with the Bruins winning both games.

Big story: In a matchup between two of the past three Stanley Cup champions, the Bruins (2011) and Kings (2012) look to solidify their positions in the standings with a win.

The Bruins continue a tough three-game road trip in Los Angeles before heading to San Jose. Boston, which has a very impressive 18-4-2 home record, is 10-9-0 on the road.

The Kings look to turn things around having lost six of seven, scoring 10 goals in that span.

Team Scope:

Bruins: Boston enters the game after a 5-2 defeat loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday in which the Bruins allowed three second-period goals and two in the third. Daniel Paille and Dougie Hamilton had the goals for Boston.

"We knew they are a strong home team, but in the first period, we totally outshot them and outchanced them and even continued in the second," goalie Tuukka Rask said.

Coach Claude Julien agreed the Bruins deserved a better fate. The Bruins outshot the Ducks 16-3 in the first period and 32-20 for the game.

"It is unfortunate that the final score doesn't indicate it, but I thought we played a good solid game. In the first period, I thought we should have come out with at least a couple-goal lead with the quality chances that we had," Julien said.

Kings: It took four rounds in a shootout, but the Minnesota Wild topped the Kings 2-1 on Tuesday. Jonathan Quick had 16 saves in his second game after being activated off injured reserve; he has allowed two goals in two games.

"Quick didn't have a lot of work, but he had to make some good saves for us," coach Darryl Sutter said after the game. "You can't expect the big guys to score all the time. We need to get more out of the secondary scoring."

Jeff Carter, who leads the team with 15 goals, had an assist on the Kings' only goal Tuesday.

"We had a lot of chances. Their goalie played well you have to give them credit. … It’s been a problem for us lately, getting some goals, so it's something we really need to work on," Carter said.

Who's hot: Paille has seven goals, four of which have come in his past four games. Jarome Iginla has five goals in seven games for the Bruins. … Carter has four goals in six games for the Kings.

Injury report: Forwards Chris Kelly (ankle) and Loui Eriksson (concussion) and defenseman Dennis Seidenberg (knee) are on injured reserve for the Bruins, though Eriksson has been cleared for contact and could return as soon as Saturday. Milan Lucic (illness) and Jordan Caron (back) missed the game Tuesday. …The Kings enter the game with a healthy lineup.