Ducks at Kings
The Pacific Division title and home ice for at least two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs are still at stake as the Los Angeles Kings host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. Los Angeles and Anaheim are tied for the Pacific lead as the Kings - two-time Stanley Cup champions in the past four seasons - gun for their first division title since winning the Smythe in 1990-91 while the Ducks try for their fourth consecutive Pacific title with a game in hand on their rivals.
Anaheim's extra contest is far from desirable, though, as it flies across the country to face Presidents' Trophy winner Washington on Sunday in a makeup of a Jan. 22 game postponed because of snow after visiting Colorado on Saturday. Los Angeles finishes its regular season Saturday by hosting Winnipeg, which made life a little bit tougher on the Ducks with a 2-1 overtime victory in Anaheim on Tuesday. The Pacific champion meets the top wild-card team Nashville in the first round while the runner-up squares off against San Jose with home ice in that series still to be determined. The Ducks have won three straight meetings, including a 3-2 verdict March 5 that vaulted them past the Kings and into first place while capping an 18-1-1 stretch that erased a 16-point division deficit.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket and FSN San Diego (Anaheim), FSN West (Los Angeles), Sportsnet 360
ABOUT THE DUCKS (44-24-11): Anaheim is starting to get some of its injured players back as defenseman Simon Despres (concussion) returned to the lineup Tuesday and forward Rickard Rakell (appendectomy) could play against Los Angeles after missing four games. The addition of Rakell would be beneficial as the forward is enjoying a breakout season with 20 goals and 23 assists in 72 games after totaling nine and 22 in 71 contests last season. Goaltender Frederik Andersen participated in practice this week and could play for the first time since suffering a concussion versus Calgary on March 30 in one of the final two games.
ABOUT THE KINGS (47-28-5): Los Angeles center Jeff Carter (24 goals, 61 points) is heating up at the right time with six tallies in his last six games, including the overtime score in Tuesday's 5-4 victory in Calgary for their franchise-record 47th win. The Kings have an injury concern of their own as defensemen Alec Martinez (undisclosed) has missed the last two contests - his first two of the season - despite making the trip to western Canada. Jonathan Quick did not play Tuesday after losing his first two April starts, including 3-2 in Vancouver on Monday, but will be back in goal trying to improve on his 15-10-6 record against the Ducks.
OVERTIME
1. If the teams are tied after 82 games, Los Angeles wins the division because it would have a greater number of regulation and overtime victories.
2. Anaheim is No. 1 on the power play and in penalty killing as it bids to become the first team since the 1984-85 New York Islanders to accomplish the feat.
3. The Kings have permitted a power-play goal in their last three games and in five of their last six contests.