Preview: Ducks Host Kings for Preseason Rematch at Honda Center

The Ducks are down to the final stretch of the preseason, tonight taking on the Los Angeles Kings at Honda Center for the second of three straight exhibition contests against their Southern California rival before the regular season begins next week.
PUCK DROP: 7 P.M. | TV: BALLY SPORTS SOCAL | DUCKS STREAM | GET TICKETS | NHL GAMECENTER

Anaheim will look to avenge a loss in the first exhibition meeting between the clubs, Sunday night at Cyrpto.com Arena. Rocco Grimaldi, who is in camp with the Ducks on a professional tryout and
battling for a roster spot
, scored the game's opening goal just 42 seconds into the action but two Kings power-play goals would prove to be the difference.

"We did a better job of puck battles and recovering pucks after shots," head coach Dallas Eakins said of how the Ducks adjusted on the penalty kill after conceding twice in the first period. "We got more down ice pressure. We can still be much better in that department."
The Kings iced a veteran lineup Sunday, offering Ducks coaches a chance to see players on the roster bubble in a more competitive environment.
"We learned a lot [Sunday]," Eakins said. "The pace of the play turned up quickly. LA had a number of their vets that can play at pace and we got to see some guys that are battling for spots and how they can handle it."

The Ducks sit 3-2-0 in the preseason, including two wins in as many games on home ice.
The lineup for tonight's game has yet to be revealed, but could likely include more players expected to play key NHL roles as the team continues to prepare for its season opener next Wednesday vs. Seattle.
On that note, Anaheim continued to whittle down its
training camp roster
Monday,
assigning four players to the San Diego Gulls
(AHL). The Ducks now have 33 players left in camp - 17 forwards, 13 defenseman and three goaltenders.
The Kings make their first trip of the season to Honda Center tonight, currently 2-1-1 in the preseason with three of those four games decided by just one goal.
LA has a roster crunch of its own coming soon, with several former top prospects on the bubble and requiring waivers before possibly being sent to the minors.
"The evaluation will continue tomorrow in practice and the day after and the day after," head coach
Todd McClellan told Kings Insider Zach Dooley
. "You know, the unfortunate thing is not everybody can play, we're only allowed like everybody else so many roster spots and it's a cruel thing, but that's a fact of pro sports. Somebody is going to be here and somebody won't and they'll sort themselves out as time goes on."
The Ducks and Kings will meet three times in the regular season, twice at Honda Center.