Coyotes at Kings
The Los Angeles Kings try to bounce back from a potentially devastating blow to their Western Conference playoff hopes when they host the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. Los Angeles had a chance to get within one point of St. Louis for the final wild-card spot, but instead lost 3-1 to the Blues at home Monday to drop five points off the pace, leaving the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup champion in jeopardy of missing the postseason for the second time in three seasons.
Many believed the Kings would get a lift when goaltender Jonathan Quick returned after missing 59 of the first 60 games of the season with a groin injury, but they split eight games (4-2-2) since. Of Los Angeles' 14 remaining games, eight are at home and five are against teams out of playoff position — including Arizona, and Buffalo at Staples Center on Thursday. The Coyotes defeated Colorado 1-0 on Monday for their second straight victory on the strength of rookie Brandon Perlini's goal and Mike Smith's 22 saves. Arizona won 5-3 in Los Angeles on Feb. 16 in the third of five meetings this season behind two goals apiece from Perlini and Jordan Martinook, and 41 saves by Smith after the Kings won the first two encounters of the campaign — both in Arizona.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN West (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE COYOTES (25-35-8): Captain Shane Doan, 40 was shaken up Monday during a pregame collision with rookie defenseman Jakob Chychrun, but returned to the ice to play his 1,534th career game — third among active players behind Florida's Jaromir Jagr (1,696) and Los Angeles' Jarome Iginla (1,540). Tobias Rieder (32 points) recorded an assist Monday, giving him four points in the past three games and seven in his last six contests. Kevin Connauton missed his fifth straight game Monday with an upper-body injury while Alexander Burmistrov (concussion) skated at Monday's practice before sitting out for the sixth game in a row.
ABOUT THE KINGS (33-29-6): Jeff Carter (team highs of 31 goals and 59 points) has a minus-8 rating over the last seven games while producing a goal and three assists during that span. Dustin Brown (11 goals) scored for the first time in seven games Monday while Tyler Toffoli (12) extended his goalless streak to seven contests. Nick Shore (upper-body injury) did not play for the fourth straight game Monday while Jordan Nolan missed the last seven contests with a leg injury.
OVERTIME
1. Smith recorded his franchise-record 22nd shutout Monday, passing Ilya Bryzgalov and Nikolai Khabibulin.
2. Los Angeles is 3-2-1 in the second contest of back-to-back games this season.
3. Perlini is averaging .302 goals per game, fourth among rookies behind Winnipeg's Patrik Laine (.532), Toronto's Auston Matthews (.462) and Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel (.322).