Kings at Bruins
Jeff Carter called the Los Angeles Kings a fragile team - harsh words for any professional athlete to hear, let alone a hockey player - after their 6-3 loss in Buffalo on Tuesday. Los Angeles' leading goal scorer and his teammates responded with victories on back-to-back nights and hope to continue that success when the Kings visit the Boston Bruins on Sunday afternoon in the fourth contest of a season-high seven-game road trip.
Los Angeles followed Thursday's 4-1 victory over Detroit with a 1-0 overtime win against Pittsburgh on Friday, and also visit red-hot Columbus on Tuesday, Nashville on Thursday and Dallas on Friday. "It's great to get two big wins in tough buildings on back-to-back nights," Kings goaltender Peter Budaj told reporters. "We're going to rest and get ready because this road trip keeps continuing. We have to be sharp because we're going to play in some tough buildings." The TD Garden in Boston can't be considered a difficult place for opponents to play - at least at the moment - as the Bruins are one of four teams in the Eastern Conference with more losses than wins at home (7-8-0). Boston lost 4-3 to Anaheim on Thursday for its third straight setback at TD Garden and fourth in a row versus the Western Conference - all at home.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, FSN West (Los Angeles), NESN (Boston)
ABOUT THE KINGS (16-12-2): Carter (club-high 24 points) scored twice against Buffalo and his 14 goals nearly double the output of the next-highest scoring teammate as Tyler Toffoli recorded his eighth goal Friday for his third in two games. Marian Gaborik (one goal, three assists in nine games) is pointless on the road trip as he continues to work his way back from missing the first 21 contests of the season with a foot injury. Defensemen Alec Martinez (six) and Drew Doughty (five) are the next-highest scorers while Toffoli boasts a team-best plus-15 rating with Dustin Brown a club-worst minus-10.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (16-13-3): Boston, which is 1-3-2 in its last six games, will be without leading scorer David Pastrnak (19 goals, second in the NHL to Sidney Crosby's 21) for at least two contests because of an elbow injury. Brad Marchand (nine goals, team-most 27 points) recorded a point in seven of his last eight games (two goals, five assists) while linemate Patrice Bergeron (four goals, nine points) continues to struggle offensively with one assist in his last six games. Tuukka Rask allowed at least three goals in four of his last five starts and is 3-1-2 in December after going 12-3-1 in October and November.
OVERTIME
1. The Kings are in a stretch of nine consecutive games away from home as they go back on the road for two contests after a four-day Christmas break.
2. Boston D Kevan Miller reportedly left Wednesday's game against Pittsburgh due to an upper-body injury and is questionable after missing Thursday's contest.
3. Los Angeles won both meetings last season - a 3-2 verdict at home that followed a 9-2 decision in Boston in which nine Kings scored.