Saturday Night Special,
by Bookiekiller.com's NHL Guru, RINK RAT.
Oct 31 Kings lost 2-1(o/t) in Chicago
Last season, 2-2
The Los Angeles Kings could be forgiven if they harboured dark thoughts about having been dealt the Queen of Spades by the National Hockey League's schedule maker. After playing Friday night in Anaheim, the Kings will have played 15 road games and a skimpy 8 at home. Additionally, Los Angeles has had one 5-game road trip and an 8-game marathon; on the just-completed longer trek they finished an acceptable 2-3-1-2.
By comparison, the Carolina Hurricane have played 16 home games and are no better in the standings. The Kings home record is 4-3-1-0 but considering the amount of traveling they have done, the Staples Arena is probably as unfamiliar to them as the rink in Columbus. Fortunately the Kings have been back on the West Coast for a week, giving them an opportunity to shed their jet-lag and recover from all that awful airline food. Los Angeles has had to cope with long term injuries to Adam Deadmarsh and Jason Allison. In other words, they don't have a first line.
Even so they have managed 28.9 shots/game and are eighth in goals for average (2.75). Oddly, while they are sixth in shots allowed (26.6) their goals against average is a poor 3.00. The reason is Felix Potvin, who only has an .887 home save percentage. The special teams are more hum-drum than special, the penalty killing ranking 10th and the power play 12th. However their odd-man differential is only -1. If the Kings are going to win this, then they'll have to do it five-aside.
Lucky for them they're facing a Chicago Blackhawk team which doesn't like playing on the road. They are in the midst of a seven game trip of their own and lost four straight until beating Phoenix on Thursday night, 4-2. The 'hawks could be the perfect antidote for a shaky Potvin. Chicago scores at the rate of only 1.70 goals per game (15th), which will increase slightly after the Coyote game. Their goals against is 2.60 (6th) and they yield almost 29 shots/game(8th), goaltender Jocelyn Thibault keeping things decent. He stopped 34 of 36 against Phoenix. The Blackhawks power play is an anemic 6.1% (14th) and the penalty killing a better 10/60, 83.3%(7th). However they're odd-man differential is an unsatisfactory -10.
On Saturday night the Kings will be playing back-to-back but at least won't have had to travel, having played the Ducks the night before. Los Angeles can be scored upon, but are playing a team which is 3-6-2 on the road, has difficulty scoring and is too soft while penalty killing when considering their poor power play. The Kings are going to have to work for it, but in the end home cooking wins out. Take the KINGS on the PUCK LINE !!!
rsbookiekiller@hotmail.com
by Bookiekiller.com's NHL Guru, RINK RAT.
Oct 31 Kings lost 2-1(o/t) in Chicago
Last season, 2-2
The Los Angeles Kings could be forgiven if they harboured dark thoughts about having been dealt the Queen of Spades by the National Hockey League's schedule maker. After playing Friday night in Anaheim, the Kings will have played 15 road games and a skimpy 8 at home. Additionally, Los Angeles has had one 5-game road trip and an 8-game marathon; on the just-completed longer trek they finished an acceptable 2-3-1-2.
By comparison, the Carolina Hurricane have played 16 home games and are no better in the standings. The Kings home record is 4-3-1-0 but considering the amount of traveling they have done, the Staples Arena is probably as unfamiliar to them as the rink in Columbus. Fortunately the Kings have been back on the West Coast for a week, giving them an opportunity to shed their jet-lag and recover from all that awful airline food. Los Angeles has had to cope with long term injuries to Adam Deadmarsh and Jason Allison. In other words, they don't have a first line.
Even so they have managed 28.9 shots/game and are eighth in goals for average (2.75). Oddly, while they are sixth in shots allowed (26.6) their goals against average is a poor 3.00. The reason is Felix Potvin, who only has an .887 home save percentage. The special teams are more hum-drum than special, the penalty killing ranking 10th and the power play 12th. However their odd-man differential is only -1. If the Kings are going to win this, then they'll have to do it five-aside.
Lucky for them they're facing a Chicago Blackhawk team which doesn't like playing on the road. They are in the midst of a seven game trip of their own and lost four straight until beating Phoenix on Thursday night, 4-2. The 'hawks could be the perfect antidote for a shaky Potvin. Chicago scores at the rate of only 1.70 goals per game (15th), which will increase slightly after the Coyote game. Their goals against is 2.60 (6th) and they yield almost 29 shots/game(8th), goaltender Jocelyn Thibault keeping things decent. He stopped 34 of 36 against Phoenix. The Blackhawks power play is an anemic 6.1% (14th) and the penalty killing a better 10/60, 83.3%(7th). However they're odd-man differential is an unsatisfactory -10.
On Saturday night the Kings will be playing back-to-back but at least won't have had to travel, having played the Ducks the night before. Los Angeles can be scored upon, but are playing a team which is 3-6-2 on the road, has difficulty scoring and is too soft while penalty killing when considering their poor power play. The Kings are going to have to work for it, but in the end home cooking wins out. Take the KINGS on the PUCK LINE !!!
rsbookiekiller@hotmail.com
