Islanders at Kings
The Los Angeles Kings look to extend a pair of winning streaks when they host the New York Islanders on Wednesday in the opener of their three-game homestand. Los Angeles has posted four consecutive victories at Staples Center and has won a season-high three straight overall after edging the Pacific Division-rival Ducks 3-2 in Anaheim on Sunday.
Jeff Carter has rediscovered his scoring touch, recording four goals — and adding two assists — over his last three games en route to being named the NHL's First Star of the Week. The 31-year-old Carter, who leads the Kings with nine tallies and 17 points, scored the decisive goal in each game of the team's current winning streak and leads the NHL with five game-winners. New York managed to put an end to its four-game winless stretch (0-2-2), but it wasn't an easy task. The Islanders squandered a third-period lead but came away with a 3-2 victory after defenseman Nick Leddy scored in the 14th round of the shootout.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), FSN West (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (6-8-4): Captain John Tavares will appear in his 528th career game Wednesday, tying him with Kyle Okposo for 23rd place on the franchise list, and is three points away from pulling even with Pat Flatley (488) for 11th in team history. Josh Bailey notched his 164th assist in the win over the Ducks, breaking a tie with Ziggy Palffy for the 25th spot in franchise history, and finished with two points to raise his career total to 260 and move past Jason Blake and Steve Thomas for sole possession of 24th in the club's all-time rankings. The Islanders have won two of three on their California trip each of the last two seasons.
ABOUT THE KINGS (10-9-1): Anze Kopitar has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury, but there's a chance he could return to the lineup against the Islanders. "We'll see. Nothing's for certain yet, but I wouldn't exclude it either," the captain told reporters Tuesday. "We'll see, obviously, how it feels. I'm progressing in the right direction, and the main goal is to do that, feel better every day, and then when it's time, it'll be time, and obviously I'll play again." Carter is one of three Kings who enter Wednesday with a three-game point streak, as linemate Tyler Toffoli (one goal, three assists) and defenseman Alec Martinez (one, two) also have landed on the scoresheet in each of their last three contests.
OVERTIME
1. Carter recorded his 600th career point in Sunday's win, becoming the 33rd active player to reach the plateau.
2. New York is seeking its second straight road victory after beginning the season 0-4-1 away from home.
3. Los Angeles is in the midst of a stretch during which it plays eight of 10 contests at home before embarking on a nine-game road trip that begins Dec. 13 in Buffalo and concludes Dec. 29 at Edmonton.