The Ducks open a four-game homestand two points behind the third-place Kings with five games remaining and have a game in hand. Anaheim is one point ahead of the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference and is even in points with the St. Louis Blues, which owns the first wild card. Anaheim is 14-2-2 at home since Dec. 29. Los Angeles is 4-1-1 in its past six games, including a 4-2 victory against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. The Kings play their final three games at home.
Players to watch
Kings forward Jeff Carter scored three times in the win against Arizona and has nine points (seven goals, two assists) in his past six games. Carter missed the Kings' four previous games against Anaheim this season after having surgery on Oct. 19 to repair a cut tendon in his ankle. Ducks forward Rickard Rakell has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in his past 14 games, and three points (two goals, one assist) in three games against Los Angeles this season.
They said it
"When you've had Jeff Carter on your team, and you've won with him, you just always have that reference point of what he's capable of." -- Kings coach John Stevens "We respect the Kings. They're a big, heavy hockey club. They're in the same position we're in. They're fighting for their playoff lives." -- Ducks coach Randy Carlyle
Quick will start against the Ducks for the fifth time this season. He's 2-2-0 with a 2.20 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. … Brown replaces Terry after serving as a healthy scratch the past eight games.
Stat pack
Kopitar has 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in the past 17 games. He has NHL career highs for goals (35), assists (54) and points (89) for a season. … Getzlaf is having his highest-scoring month of this season; he has 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) in 11 games.
