Avalanche Hosts Kings on Hockey Fights Cancer Night

The Colorado Avalanche continues its nine-game homestand on Friday when hosting the Los Angeles Kings in its annual Hockey Fights Cancer game. It is the first matchup of a two-game set between the clubs at Ball Arena.
On Wednesday, the Avs improved to 14-8-2 on the season with a 2-1 overtime victory versus the Arizona Coyotes, splitting the two-game series against the team. Gabriel Landeskog ended the contest by notching his team-leading second OT goal on the year while Brandon Saad registered his ninth even-strength marker of the campaign (most on Colorado). Andre Burakovsky, Samuel Girard and Devon Toews all added assists as netminder Philipp Grubauer earned his 13th win of the 56-game schedule, denying 13-of-14 shots.

After dropping the first contest of a two-game set against the Anaheim Ducks in overtime on Monday, Los Angeles rebounded on Wednesday with a 5-1 performance versus the club. Goaltender Troy Grosenick made 33 saves in his first NHL start since Nov. 18, 2014, while Adrian Kempe tallied two goals to give him five markers in the past two contests and six in the last three matchups. Anze Kopitar also found the back of the net--extending his point streak to six games.
Friday's meeting is the fifth contest of the Avs' season-long nine-game homestand, with the club owning a 2-1-1 record through the first four matchups.

Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings

Ball Arena | Denver, Colo.
| Game Time: | 7 p.m. MT | | --- | --- | | TV: | Altitude 2, Fox Sports-West (LAK), ESPN+, | | Radio: | Altitude Sports Radio, FM 92.5 (KKSE) | | Live Streams: | AltitudeNow.com, ESPN+, Official app (blackouts apply to all) | | Online Audio: | Listen Live Here | | Follow: | @Avalanche, Official app, Gamecenter |

COLORADO-LOS ANGELES CONNECTIONS

Avalanche assistant coach Ray Bennett spent seven years as an assistant coach for the Kings (1999-2006) … Kings general manager Rob Blake played parts of five seasons with Colorado, winning a Stanley Cup with the Avs in 2001 … Los Angeles center Trevor Moore played at the University of Denver from 2013-2016.

HISTORY

The Avs and Kings split the first two meetings of the season series, facing off at Staples Center in both matchups. Colorado took the first contest, 3-2, on Jan. 19 with Nathan MacKinnon registering two assists and Mikko Rantanen tallying the game-winning goal. Two days later on Jan. 21, Los Angeles evened up the series with a 4-2 victory as the squad received two power-play goals from Drew Doughty and Gabriel Vilardi. Through the first two meetings, MacKinnon's four points (one goal, three assists) and Rantanen's three points (two goals, one assist) lead the Avalanche in scoring versus L.A.
The Avalanche franchise owns an all-time record of 58-66-15 against the Kings, while sporting a 23-20-2 mark at home since moving to Denver in 1995-96. The Avs hold a 4-5-1 record versus Los Angeles in their last 10 meetings at Ball Arena (does not include 2020 Stadium Series game at Air Force Academy).

ROSTER REPORT

The Avs had an optional skate on Thursday, and head coach Jared Bednar said that none of the team's current injured players will be available for Friday's contest so it is likely the same lineup will be used from Wednesday. Nathan MacKinnon returned to game action on Wednesday after missing three straight games with an upper-body injury. Goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer is expected to start in his 21st game of the season.

INJURY UPDATE

Bowen Byram (upper body), J.T. Compher (upper body), Conor Timmins (upper body) and Dennis Gilbert (upper body) all skated on Thursday as the Avs held an optional practice, but they all remain out. Cale Makar (upper body) took an off day from the ice on Thursday. Pavel Francouz (lower body) and Erik Johnson (upper body) are both out long term with injuries.

SCOUTING THE KINGS

Los Angeles (11-8-6) is tied with the Arizona Coyotes for the fifth spot in the West Division with 28 points, just two points behind the Avalanche. The Kings have won two of their last three games, and they have points in four straight (2-0-2) and in five of their last six (2-1-3). On the road, the club owns a 7-5-2 mark, including a 5-1-2 record in it is last eight outings away from home.
Through 25 games, forward Anze Kopitar (seven goals, 24 assists) and defenseman Drew Doughty (six goals, 16 assists) have led the way offensively for the squad with 31 points and 22 points, respectively. Goaltender Jonathan Quick holds a 6-4-2 mark with a .898 save percentage and 2.87 goals-against average, but he is currently out with an upper-body injury. With backup Cal Peterson also out and in COVID protocol, Troy Grosenick could start in his second straight game and the third of his NHL career. Kopitar's 19 points on the man advantage (three goals, 16 assists) rank second in the NHL and his 24 helpers overall are the fifth-most in the NHL.

(OPPOSING) PLAYER TO WATCH: DUSTIN BROWN

Dustin Brown is in his 17th NHL season with the Los Angeles Kings, tallying 312 goals and 360 assists throughout his illustrious 1,208-game career. The two-time Stanley Cup champion has registered the second-most goals and points (672) by a Kings player since entering the league in 2003-04, while ranking third in assists in that span. Brown has played the most games in a Los Angeles sweater and was the longest-tenured captain in franchise history from 2008-09 to 2015-16.
The veteran still has a knack for lighting the lamp as he leads the Kings this season with 13 goals and seven power-play markers. Brown's 19 points (13 goals, six assists) are tied for third on the club with Adrian Kempe and his 44 hits are tied for second with Austin Wagner.

NUMBERS GAME

4

Gabriel Landeskog's four game-winning tallies rank first on the Avalanche and are tied for the third-most in the NHL. The captain has collected seven markers overall this season, which is third on the club.

12

The Avalanche sports a 12-3-1 mark when scoring the first goal of the game. The club's 12 wins when finding the back of the net first are tied for the fourth-most in the league.

46

Colorado's 46 shots on Wednesday was a season high and the club's most shots on goal in a game since Jan. 20, 2020 against Detroit (also 46). The Avalanche outshot the Coyotes 46-14 in the game, the largest shot differential (plus-32) in any NHL game this season and a new record for a single contest in franchise history.

NOTEBOOK

Colorado has held its opponents to 14 shots on goal in two consecutive games and has not allowed 30 or more shots against in 14 straight matchups, equaling the longest stretch in franchise history… Nathan MacKinnon skated in his 545th career game, passing Peter Forsberg for the ninth-most games played in an Avalanche sweater (since 1995). The forward is averaging 4.4 shots per game this season, ranking second in the league… The Avs boast an 8-2-0 record in games after a lost and own an 8-2-2 mark in contests decided by one tally… Philipp Grubauer's 13 wins rank tied for second in the NHL… The Avalanche is a perfect 10-0-0 when heading into the third period with a lead.