Kings at Flyers
After helping its team complete a perfect six-game homestand for the first time in franchise history, "That '70s Line" takes its impressive show on the road when the Los Angeles Kings visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. Tanner Pearson scored two goals in the third period and Tyler Toffoli netted a tally and set up three others in the Kings' 5-2 victory over Columbus on Sunday. Jeff Carter, who was named the NHL's First Star of the Week on Monday, also collected a goal and three assists versus his former team in the Blue Jackets while preparing to face another one in Philadelphia.
Speaking of the Flyers, they rebounded from another slow start to a season by winning two straight and collecting points in five of their last six games following a 4-2 triumph over Detroit on Saturday. Ray Emery could be in line for his third straight start after posting a 3-0-1 mark with a 2.60 goals-against average this season, although Steve Mason turned aside all 35 shots he faced in Philadelphia's 2-0 victory over Los Angeles on Feb. 1. Former King Wayne Simmonds leads the Flyers with five goals, but he has been kept off the scoresheet in each of the last four contests.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVA, FSN West (Los Angeles), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE KINGS (6-1-1): Mike Richards, who was sent to Los Angeles for Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and a draft pick in 2012, has just two assists in eight games this season. While Richards will play on Tuesday, the same guarantee isn't readily afforded to Anze Kopitar after he exited midway through the second period against Columbus with an upper-body injury. "He's all right," coach Darryl Sutter said after Sunday's contest, and Kopitar joined the team in making the trek to the City of Brotherly Love.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (3-3-2): Coach Craig Berube on Monday stressed the importance of getting the jump on Los Angeles. "You got to get the lead on them because if they get the lead, they can shut it down," Berube said, according to CSNPhilly.com. "It's very important that we get a good start. It's huge, the first 10 minutes. To me, that's the biggest part of the game." Berube admitted that he would "sleep on it" before naming his starting goaltender, but pesky Zac Rinaldo (upper body) is expected to be in the lineup on Tuesday.
OVERTIME
1. Carter, Toffoli and Pearson have combined for 16 of the Kings' first 21 goals and have added 17 assists this season.
2. Philadelphia RW Jakub Voracek has notched two assists in three of his last four contests.
3. Los Angeles is 4-for-9 on the power play in its last three games after going 1-for-18 in the previous five.