Kings at Jets
The Los Angeles Kings are riding high with a five-game winning streak, but their continuing struggle to score goals led them to acquiring Marian Gaborik at the trade deadline. The Kings are wagering that the veteran will give their lineup a jolt, beginning Thursday as they visit the Winnipeg Jets. Gaborik has collected a goal and an assist in four contests since returning from a broken collarbone that forced him to miss the Sochi Winter Games.
Los Angeles general manager Dean Lombardi's last trade-deadline acquisition from Columbus paid dividends as he secured the services of Jeff Carter in 2012 - a deal that led to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship. Los Angeles certainly can use a shot in the arm from its offense, which is mustering a paltry 2.32 goals per game - thus putting a constant strain on Jonathan Quick. The stud goaltender will face a Winnipeg club that has gone 11-3-2 since coach Paul Maurice replaced Claude Noel to sit one point behind Dallas for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC (Winnipeg), FSN West (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE KINGS (35-22-6): Carter scored his 250th career goal early in the third period to snap a tie as Los Angeles remained perfect following the Olympic break with a 2-1 triumph over Montreal on Monday. The Canadian Olympian also tallied in the Kings' 5-3 setback to Winnipeg on Oct. 4 - a game that saw Quick yield four goals on 27 shots before making an early exit. Quick has struggled in four meetings against the Jets, posting a 1-2-0 record with a gaudy 4.49 goals-against average.
ABOUT THE JETS (30-26-7): Promising second-line center Mark Scheifele suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee during Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders and is expected to be sidelined six-to-eight weeks. "It's all in how (quickly) this thing heals. You can check back with me in two or three weeks, and I'll give you a general idea of where we think it's at," Maurice said on Wednesday. Defenseman Mark Stuart must like where he's at as he agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth $10.5 million in a deal reported shortly after the trade deadline had passed.
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg captain Andrew Ladd scored twice on Tuesday and has four goals in his last four games.
2. The Kings sent RW Matt Frattin and both a second- and third-round pick to Columbus for Gaborik, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
3. Los Angeles also acquired D Brayden McNabb, F Jonathan Parker and second-round picks in 2014 and 2015 for D Nicolas Deslauriers and F Hudson Fasching on Wednesday.