Blues vs. Los Angeles Kings - 1/9/16 game day preview

The Blues continue their west coast trip when they take on the Los Angeles Kings at 9:30pm CST at the Staples Center. The Kings enter the game rested having won 7 of their last 10 games while the Blues travel from Anaheim having only won 3 of their last 10 and losing 4 in a row, though 3 were in after regulation.

The Kings have enjoyed a very successful first half of the season, earning the 3rd highest points per game average in the league mostly due to their stingy defense. They are only giving up 2.18 goals per game, best in the Western Conference and 3rd overall. Their special teams have been above average as evidenced by their 10th and 11th rankings in power play and penalty killing efficiency.

The game against the Kings will continue to the Blues string of playing players who have historically done very well against them. Defenseman Jake Muzzin scores a goal every 10.4 games against other teams but has 4 goals in 8 games against the Blues. Anzie Kopitar has put up 39 points in only 34 games with 11 goals and 28 assists while Marion Gaborik has 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points in only 37 games against the Blues. While Jhonas Enroth’s career numbers against the Blues are better than Jonathan Quick’s (0.96 vs 2.34 GAA and 96.3% vs 91.7% save percentage mostly due to his shutout earlier this season), expect Quick to get the start.

Brian Elliott should get the start tonight as was originally planned but it remains to be seen if Jake Allen or Jordan Binnington will serve as the backup. Allen looked to hyper-extend his left knee when Corey Perry slid into him early in first period last night. Elliott has posted good numbers against the Kings with a 2.22 GAA and a 92.1% save percentage. Perhaps more concerning that Allen’s status are the status of Jay Bouwmeester and Paul Stastny.

Ryan Getzlaf made a hockey play, playing the puck first and then colliding/checking Bouwmeester. During this contact, there was definitely contact to the side of Bouwmeester’s head and subsequently a whiplash type looking movement with his head. As Darren Pang noted, Bouwmeester didn’t look right in front of the net after the play and didn’t return to the game. Could he have suffered a concussion? Very possibly. Could it be a whiplash type injury with a sore neck, etc? Possibly. Regardless, expect him to sit tonight with Robert Bortuzzo taking his spot. Expect Colton Parayko to gobble up some extra minutes and to see a lot more of Alex Pietrangelo.

As if those weren’t enough, Paul Stastny took a puck to the side of the face/head early in the second period and did not return. Could have broken some bones? Could it have hit in the temple/ear area and be causing some balance/equilibrium issues? Regardless, expect him to sit tonight and the veteran top 9 players to eat up his minutes. My hope is that Fabbri and Jaskin will get more minutes but I bet they get loaded onto Steen, Backes, and Berglund instead. In looking at facing the Kings, Vladimir Tarasenko has enjoyed the most success scoring 7 goals in 9 games and adding 3 assists.

With all of the injuries, my lines are very much a guess:

Steen – Backes – Brouwer
Fabbri – Lehtera – Tarasenko
Berglund – Jaskin – Paajarvi
Upshall – Brodziak – Reaves
Edmundson – Pietrangelo
Parayko – Shattenkirk
Gunnarsson – Bortuzzo
Elliott

Notes from around the league:
- Like I said yesterday - great move by David Poille to get Ryan Johansen imho. First day return – Seth Jones – no points -2 and RJ – 1 goal 1 assist +2. Of course both teams lost, so…. Lol
- I really believe the Johansen trade by Jarmo was done to set up the future by getting who he thinks is going to become a cornerstone D while also getting additional losses this season, improving their draft status odds. It’s not tanking exactly but I don’t think the move is made now if they are in a playoff race.
- Will the Panthers make it a dozen tomorrow? They haven’t lost since December 12th.
- Anyone else notice that the Hawks have now won 6 in a row and taking 16 of 20 possible points?
- Buffalo continuing to try for the Matthews sweepstakes now losing 6 in a row.

It’s a great day for hockey.

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