Kings at Blue Jackets
THE STORY: The Los Angeles Kings have been so poor offensively that coach Terry Murray was fired on Monday and general manager Dean Lombardi publicly called out the players for their role in the move. That certainly did not wake up the team on Tuesday, when it went into Boston and suffered a 3-0 loss to the Bruins. That marked the Kings’ fifth straight setback and the ninth straight game in which they had failed to score more than two goals. They put 41 shots on Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask, but went 0-for-5 on the power play and struggled to generate an odd-man rush. The Kings should have an easier time when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. The Blue Jackets are at the bottom of the league on the penalty kill and are one of a handful of teams that has yet to reach double figures in wins.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSW (Los Angeles), FSOH (Columbus)
ABOUT THE KINGS (13-13-4): Los Angeles is now under the direction of interim coach John Stevens, who had served as Murray’s assistant. Still without injured center Mike Richards, Stevens did not have much on which to lean against the more aggressive Bruins. The blue-liners and goaltenders Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier are holding opponents to an average of 2.3 goals and killing off 86.2 percent of penalties.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (9-17-4): Columbus hit win No. 9 on Tuesday with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Steve Mason returned in goal following a 12-game absence. Mason, who posted a 4.91 goals-against average in five November starts, made 30 saves against the Canucks. The Blue Jackets are 3-2-1 in December, but have surrendered a total of 15 goals in the three losses.
OVERTIME:
1. Los Angeles has taken three straight and six of the last seven in the series, scoring at least four goals in each of the six victories.
2. The Kings have not dropped six straight contests in four years.
3. Mason is 4-6-0 with a 3.37 goals-against average in 10 career starts against Los Angeles.