Kings at Sharks
With the dust recently settled on a grueling nine-game trek, the Los Angeles Kings once again will pack their bags and head north along the California coast Tuesday to complete a home-and-home series with the host San Jose Sharks. Tanner Pearson collected a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory over San Jose on Saturday to improve his point total to five (two goals, three assists) in the past five games after being limited to just two assists in his previous 12 contests.
Veteran Peter Budaj turned aside 18 shots to secure his 16th win, his most since recording 20 with Colorado in the 2008-09 season. The 34-year-old has posted two shutouts, a 1.28 goals-against average and .955 save percentage in his last seven starts, although his record in that span (3-3-1) has been hampered by a lack of goal production (12). San Jose defenseman Brent Burns hasn't been shy in that regard, scoring his second goal in three contests versus Los Angeles on Saturday for his 21st point (nine goals, 12 assists) point in his last 19 games. Martin Jones made 24 saves in a losing effort Saturday, falling to 5-2-1 in his career versus the team with which he spent his first two NHL seasons.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCSN
ABOUT THE KINGS (18-15-4): Jeff Carter scored to record his 10th straight 20-goal season and his NHL-best seventh game-winning tally of the campaign. Carter's sixth tally in as many games increased his season total to 11 more than the next closest King (Pearson) while his point lead over Alec Martinez (21 points) shrunk to 10 after the defenseman recorded his fourth multi-point performance with two assists versus San Jose. Martinez, who leads the team with 15 assists, has as many career points (three goals, 12 assists) in 27 encounters against the Sharks.
ABOUT THE SHARKS (23-13-1): Mirco Mueller was recalled from San Jose of the American Hockey League on Monday to fill the roster spot of fellow defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who was placed on injured reserve Monday after being on the receiving end of a deflected slap shot from Philadelphia's Shayne Gostisbehere. Vlasic is expected to miss at least two games, but coach Peter DeBoer told CSN Bay Area that "I'm optimistic that after that, we should be good." A former first-round pick in 2013, Mueller has set up eight tallies in 25 games with the Barracuda this season and has one goal and three assists with a minus-12 rating in 50 career NHL contests.
OVERTIME
1. San Jose D David Schlemko missed Monday's practice with an upper-body injury and is questionable for Tuesday's tilt, according to CSN Bay Area.
2. The Kings have scored a power-play goal in all three encounters with the Sharks this season.
3. San Jose C Logan Couture collected three goals and two assists in the team's two previous wins over Los Angeles this season before being held off the scoresheet on Saturday.