Kings at Sabres
The Los Angeles Kings have won nearly two-thirds of their games, but they still are having trouble keeping pace in the highly competitive Pacific Division as they kick off a four-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. The Kings have won two straight, including a 2-0 triumph at home over the Sabres, and 10 of their last 14 but are fifth in the division. Jonathan Quick has won his last two starts and earned his first shutout of the season versus Buffalo last week.
The Sabres not only have the fewest points (seven) in the league, but they are the only team that has yet to register a victory at home (0-8-1). Buffalo turned in its best effort of the season during its three-game West Coast road trip, stunning San Jose 5-4 in a shootout, but dropped the last two contests while scoring a combined two goals. Offense has been a problem all season for the Sabres, whose 33 goals are the second-fewest in the league.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), MSG (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE KINGS (11-6-0): Jeff Carter has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury and Kyle Clifford was hurt in Sunday's game - neither will accompany the team on the road trip. Recent callup Tyler Toffoli filled the scoring void with a pair of goals and an assist in a 5-1 rout of Vancouver, while fellow rookie Linden Vey added an assist for his first NHL point. "You come up, you’ve got to bring something to the table,” Vey said. “Tof and I bring a little bit of energy and a little bit of excitement."
ABOUT THE SABRES (3-15-1): It may not help the goal production, but reinforcements are on the way for Buffalo, with left wing John Scott set to return from a seven-game suspension and defenseman Christian Ehrhoff expected to be back in the lineup after missing one game due to injury. Blue-liner Mike Weber practiced Monday and is close to returning from a thumb injury that has sidelined him for the last seven games. Jhonas Enroth took the loss in the 2-0 defeat against the Kings, but Ryan Miller owns a 4-1-1 lifetime record versus Los Angeles.
OVERTIME
1. Kings C Anze Kopitar has three goals and three assists and C Mike Richards has three tallies and five assists during their four-game point streaks.
2. Sabres C Mikhail Grigorenko scored his first two goals of the season in Friday's 6-2 loss in Anaheim.
3. Buffalo has won the last four at home versus Los Angeles dating to 2004, scoring 27 goals in the process.