The Ducks will meet their crosstown rival tonight on home ice, hosting the Los Angeles Kings and the return of the Freeway Face-Off at Honda Center.
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Anaheim continues the season's final homestand looking to build on a strong performance in a shootout loss to St. Louis Sunday night and maybe complicate the playoff plans for their rivals up the freeway.
The Ducks rallied in the third period two nights ago behind a pair of goals apiece from Leo Carlsson and Frank Vatrano plus multi-assist nights from Trevor Zegras, Alex Killorn and Isac Lundestrom, but Jordan Kyrou's shootout winner halted the dramatic comeback in the skills session.
"We were good in the offensive zone," Vatrano said. "We were making plays. We were connecting. The defensemen were connecting with the forwards and the forwards were connecting with the defensemen. So, when we're playing like that it's fun."
Added head coach Greg Cronin, "We shot a lot of pucks. We had 15 [shots] after one, I think. I think we had a couple pipes too...We had good energy. We were jumping...We had plenty of chances to score goals."
The loss gave Anaheim points in two of its last three outings but dropped Anaheim to 25-48-5 on the season with four games still to play.
"That was a very fun hockey game to be a part of," Vatrano said. "It was a great atmosphere. It was a great game and we just ended up on the wrong side of it, but I liked how we came back. I liked the way we responded and played that game."
Two of Anaheim's final four games will be against LA, offering a chance to get back in the season series after a pair of setbacks thus far. The Kings claimed the first meeting 5-2 back on Black Friday at Honda Center and then squeaked by with a shootout victory in late February.
Kings winger Kevin Fiala has been a particular thorn in Anaheim's side, with three goals and four points in the two LA wins.
"We did a great job just staying above them," Fiala said after the November matchup in Anaheim. "We didn't give them so many chances. [Cam] Talbot was there when we needed him and so, overall, I think it was a good team win."
LA now finds itself close to securing a playoff bid, needing a win tonight to officially clinch that third straight postseason appearance. The Kings hold a one-point lead on the Golden Knights for third in the Pacific Division, passing the reigning Stanley Cup champions in the standings with a 6-3 win over the division-leading Canucks.
“Good mood, good vibes,” Fiala told NHL.com's Dan Greenspan. “We had another win against a good team and maybe against a potential playoff matchup...This was one game, and we just have five more games to try to win.”
The Ducks hold a 74-59-28 all-time record against the Kings, including a 42-24-16 edge on home ice.
