Kings at Lightning
Nikita Kucherov put an 11-game goal-scoring drought behind him last time out and looks to get on a roll again when the NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. Kucherov recorded a goal and an assist in Thursday’s 5-2 victory over Vancouver and has notched four of his league-leading 68 points in his last three games.
“You could see it coming,” Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos told reporters of Kucherov. “He was getting the chances. He was getting the shots. You worry when you’re not getting those chances, so it was a matter of time. Obviously, you could tell by his celebration that he was happy to score.” Kucherov recorded three points in a 5-2 win at Los Angeles on Nov. 9 and the Lightning go for a fourth straight victory over the Kings, who have turned things around of late with five triumphs in their last six games. Captain Anze Kopitar scored his team-leading 22nd goal and 58th point on Friday as Los Angeles opened its four-game road trip with a 3-1 victory at Florida, which moved it back into second place in the Pacific Division. “Obviously, this road trip’s huge,” Kings defenseman Alec Martinez told the Los Angeles Times. “This is moving day. … This is really, I think, (where) the true separation happens. We’ve got to take a good focus.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE KINGS (30-19-5): Former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Quick recovered from a rough stretch by making 35 saves in the win at Florida after earning just one victory in his previous eight appearances (28 goals allowed). Defenseman Drew Doughty, a candidate for the Norris Trophy, is second on the team with 39 points - nine of which have been registered in his last eight contests. Jake Muzzin has recorded 11 points in his last 12 games and is nine shy of the career high of 32 that he set in 2014-15 while fellow defenseman Derek Forbort notched three points on Friday after going eight contests without one.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (37-14-3): Stamkos has notched four points in his last four games to rank second on the team with 62 and joined Yanni Gourde, Brayden Point and Kucherov in Tampa Bay's 20-goal club - with Vladislav Namestnikov two away. Gourde, who has scored in three straight contests, and Alex Killorn both have collected three goals and four assists in the last four contests. Adam Erne scored in his season debut on Thursday, prompting coach Jon Cooper to tell reporters, “Adam was one of those guys who got a taste last year and now it’s, let’s see if he takes that step.”
OVERTIME
1. The Lightning will retire the No. 4 of Vincent Lecavalier, who played most of his final season with the Kings, during a pregame ceremony.
2. Los Angeles C Tyler Toffoli is fifth on the team with 31 points but has registered just one in his last 12 contests.
3. The Kings are 8-for-24 on the power play over their last eight games while Tampa Bay has allowed eight man-advantage tallies in its last seven.