Currently on the outside looking in, the Ducks sit three points out of the second wild card spot (Chicago) and five points behind Calgary for third place in the division. But, if history repeats itself like it has nearly every season since 2005-06, the Ducks should get on a roll. Anaheim leads the NHL with 583 points (270-140-43) in the second half since 2005-06, 15 points higher than second-best Pittsburgh with 568 (excludes the 2012-13 shortened season). The trend has been similar over the last three seasons, as Anaheim has a 54-20-10 record (0-1-1 this season) for 118 points, second in the NHL behind Washington's 120 points.
The Ducks had an up-and-down first half, but were hit hard by injuries to many of its core players. Now with a healthy lineup, the Ducks know they need to make a push. "Certainly no excuses now," defenseman Cam Fowler said yesterday after practice. "We have a full, healthy group, a veteran group with lots of experience. We need to make sure we start getting the ball rolling in the proper direction because we're going to have to, and it's going to have to happen quickly."
"We have to find ways to garner points in every opportunity," head coach Randy Carlyle said. "Points are a premium. What really sticks in our craw was the game in Calgary. We were 16 seconds away. That left a really bad taste in our mouth over the break. It was a momentum swing for a team you're trying to catch and battling with for those points. Those are the kinds of things that make it really hurt."
John Gibson is the expected starting goaltender for Anaheim. The 24-year-old netminder is 13-13-5 with a 2.65 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in 33 games this season. Ondrej Kase and Jared Boll, both recalled from San Diego of the American Hockey League yesterday, could play tonight.
The Kings are also coming off a bye week and enter tonight's game with a 4-4-2 mark over their last 10 games, including two consecutive 4-3 losses (January 4 at Calgary and January 6 vs. Nashville). Sitting in second place in the Pacific, the Kings are seven points back of the Vegas Golden Knights, but just one point ahead of the Flames, who have won six in a row. They could be without minutes-eating defenseman Jake Muzzin, who is currently on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old blueliner was injured on January 4 and has missed one game thus far, but
joined the team at the tail-end of practice yesterday
. Kevin Gravel was recalled from Ontario of the AHL and will likely play tonight if Muzzin does not. Jonathan Quick is the expected starter for LA, and he brings a 19-13-2 record, 2.31 GAA and a .926 SV% into tonight's game. Quick is among three Kings heading to the All-Star Game later this month, along with Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty.
NOTE: Because of tonight's on-ice ceremony celebrating Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Miller, the game is expected to begin at 7:56 p.m.
Potential Line Combinations
Anaheim
Rakell-Getzlaf-Perry
Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg
Ritchie-Henrique-Kase
Wagner-Vermette-Boll
Fowler-Bieksa
Lindholm-Manson
Beauchemin-Montour
Gibson (starter)
Miller
Los Angeles
Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown
Pearson-Kempe-Toffoli
Gaborik-Shore-Lewis
Clifford-Jokinen-Mitchell
Gravel-Doughty
MacDermid-Martinez
Forbort-Folin
Quick (starter)
Kuemper
