The Vancouver Canucks (11-13-2) shoot for back to back victories for the first time this month when they face the Los Angeles Kings (8-14-1) tonight at Rogers Arena.
The Canucks beat the Kings 4-2 at Staples Center on Saturday night to snap an eight-game losing streak. Adam Gaudette scored his first National Hockey League goal while Sam Gagner netted his first of the season and Elias Pettersson broke a 2-2 tie in the third period with what turned out to be the game winner. Pettersson also had his first assist since November 8th when he had a hand in the Gagner goal. Tyler Motte added an empty net insurance marker. It was his team-leading second short-handed goal of the season.
The last time the Canucks won consecutive games was a three-game win streak from October 29th to November 2nd. The final game of that streak was a 7-6 overtime victory against Colorado. That was also the last time Brock Boeser was in the Canucks line-up and he had two goals and two assists that night. After missing the last 11 games with a groin injury, Boeser returns to the line-up tonight.
Jacob Markstrom makes a second straight start in net after making 20 saves in Saturday’s victory.
After playing 17 of their first 26 games of the season on the road, the Canucks are at home for 10 of the next 13. Tonight is the beginning of the first of two five-game homestands between now and Christmas.
While the Canucks are facing the Kings in back to back match-ups, LA is here after beating Edmonton 5-2 on home ice just 24 hours after losing to Vancouver. That was the Kings season-high for goals in a game.
Dustin Brown recorded his fifth career hattrick while captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and two assists and Drew Doughty logged a whopping 30:18 on the second night of back to backs. The NHL ice-time leader played 11:53 of the second period and 9:55 in the third.
Kopitar leads the Kings with seven goals on the season while Doughty and Ilya Kovalchuk share the team lead in points with 14. Kovalchuk, however, has gone nine games without figuring in the scoring and on Sunday played just 6:20 including no shifts over the final 25 minutes.
Rookie Matt Luff scored a second period breakaway goal against the Canucks on Saturday and has scored in four straight games. It’s the longest goal streak by a Kings rookie since Jimmy Carson in 1987.
Another rookie Cal Peterson has started six consecutive games including both games over the weekend. Jonathan Quick is traveling with the Kings and is expected to return to the line-up later in the week. Quick has missed 18 games this season with a lower body injury.
Los Angeles is tied for last in the NHL in wins (8) and is last in points (17) and goals scored (50). The Kings have not scored with the man-advantage in 23 opportunities in their nine road games this season. Seven of LA’s eight wins this season have occurred when the team opens the scoring. The Kings are 1-12-1 when giving up the game’s first goal.
The club is 4-6 in the 10 games since Willie Desjardins replaced John Stevens on November 4th.
