Sabres at Kings
The Los Angeles Kings and the visiting Buffalo Sabres bid to end their respective losing skids at the other's expense on Saturday afternoon when the clubs meet at Staples Center. The Kings have been outscored 16-4 en route to dropping three straight while the Sabres have surrendered nine goals in losing two in a row heading into the fourth contest of a five-game road trip.
"I think we've got some soul searching to do," defenseman Alec Martinez told reporters after Los Angeles was leveled by four unanswered goals in the third period of a 7-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday. "What happened there at the end was unacceptable. It's not one guy in particular. It's all of us. We've got to figure some things out." The Kings managed to put an end to an 0-for-22 power-play drought as Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Carter each scored with the man advantage. The Sabres allowed a pair of early power-play goals in Thursday's 5-1 setback to San Jose while failing on all five opportunities with the man advantage. "We had key times in the game where our power play could have shined, and we didn't execute," coach Phil Housley told reporters. "I think one of the things that we have to get back is just shooting pucks and keeping it simple. I mean, that's really all they did. They just tried to get the puck to the net."
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet Pacific, MSG Buffalo, FS West (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE SABRES (3-4-0): Housley shuffled the deck during Friday's practice, moving Jeff Skinner and Jason Pominville to a line centered by captain Jack Eichel while Evan Rodrigues was shifted to left wing to join Kyle Okposo and Casey Mittelstadt. "We talked about making decisions on a day-to-day, game-by-game (basis)," Housley told the media. "Obviously, we didn't get the results, so we've got to make some decisions and try to put some new lines together today to see the chemistry. I thought we had a really good practice today." Eichel, who has been held off the scoresheet in three of his last four games overall, had a goal and an assist in Buffalo's 4-2 setback to Los Angeles on Oct. 14, 2017.
ABOUT THE KINGS (2-4-1): Coach John Stevens wasn't shy about placing the blame on a position that has served as the team's primary strength over the years: goaltending. "The problem is, your goalies have got to keep playing," Stevens said of former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Quick and Jack Campbell. "Those guys try to give you a chance to win every night, and they can't stop playing. It's disappointing." Quick, who owns a 7-1-0 mark with three shutouts versus Buffalo, permitted six goals on 29 shots against the Islanders before being pulled in his return from a five-game absence due to a lower-body injury.
OVERTIME
1. Los Angeles has won the last three meetings, including a pair of 4-2 victories in 2017-18.
2. Kings captain Anze Kopitar is expected to draw back into the lineup after sitting out Thursday's tilt with an illness.
3. Sabres D Jake McCabe has a goal and an assist after being limited to just three shots and no points in his previous five contests.