Kings At Hurricanes: Game Day Preview

by Bob Wage on Feb 4, 2012 2:27 PM EST in Carolina Hurricanes Game Day Previews

The Los Angeles Kings, (25-17-10) make their only visit to North Carolina this season as they take on the Carolina Hurricanes, (19-25-9) tonight at the RBC. The Kings are coming off a 1-0 loss last night in St. Louis and should be a travel weary team.

Neither club had a morning skate due to the NC State basketball game, so no starting goalies have been announced, although it will come as no surprise if Cam Ward gets the nod between the pipes for Carolina. Ward is coming off of a franchise record 47 save shutout in Boston and had a brilliant January, accumulating almost a .949 save percentage for the month.

Expect worse than normal ice because of the preceding basketball game.

Chad LaRose did not travel to Boston and it is not known if he will be in the lineup tonight or not. Drayson Bowman, who had been recalled to replace LaRose, is still with the team.

The Kings currently sit in seventh place in the West and have a 5-2-3 record in their last 10 games. They are led in scoring by Anze Kopitar, with former Cane, Justin Williams close behind.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2011 - Anze Kopitar	52	15	30	45	0	8	6	0	1		153

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2011 - Justin Williams	52	10	25	35	5	30	5	0	0		149

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2011 - Dustin Brown	52	13	14	27	4	36	5	0	5		147

Our SBN partner, Jewels From The Crown will have more about the Kings.

Brandon Sutter and Eric Staal each have points in the last two games. Staal has scored very well lately and has 18 points in his last 15 games.

The Hurricanes are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games at home.

Last year, the Kings won the only match between the two teams, 4-3 in Los Angeles. Jeff Skinner scored his first career goal in that game.

Tonight's contest will be televised locally by FS Carolinas. Brian and I will have our game thread/live blog up and ready at 6:30.

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Comments

Let’s get 2points ,and hope Bowman play’s

by hellfish on Feb 4, 2012 3:53 PM EST reply actions

Yep with the "bad" ice..this game on paper could be a toss up...BUT

players like Bowman,Tlusty,Skinner Ruutu,Jokinen & Staal will want to step it up a couple of notches…as this game will be theirs to lose..but i am going to uber posistive that the Canes will come out like they did with Boston….TTYL !!

9/11/01 - Never Forget !!
Long Live #63 The Condor
Go Canes & Checkers !!!

by CaniacSteve on Feb 4, 2012 4:14 PM EST reply actions

Question

Would we take Penner straight up for Ruutu, if we, hypothetically, get him back this summer?

by NorwegianCaniac on Feb 4, 2012 4:15 PM EST reply actions

I wouldn’t but I don’t like Penner as a player.

by jfhammon on Feb 4, 2012 4:19 PM EST up reply actions

I wouldn’t. While a healthy Penner could be good for the Canes, I wouldn’t want it to be at the cost of Ruutu even if only for a few months.:
1. leads the team in goals even after a long dry spell at the beginning of the season,
2. Has one of the best shot percents on the team this season and others,
3. Plays with grit, usually a league leader in hits,
4. Seems to fit in very well with the new coaches pay style,
5. (knocks on wood) Is healthy even with the style he plays,
6. Produces per fully played season the same number of points as Penner (I am thinking more and more that Penner’s one 32 goal season was an exceptional season, rather than the rule),
and 7. Ruutu seems to fit in well with the rest of the team; he is a known, liked, productive commodity.

I think Ruutu ought to be re-signed unless trading him brings us:
1. A top right handed shooting/scoring prospect with a very high projected upside that would also be a “Muller” player, or
2. A 20 minute plus true first line shutdown D who shoots right handed (I believe Gleason, Allen, Harrison, Joslin, and Pitkanin are all lefties). This would require a trade of one of our existing D-men.

I am not very confident that these types of players are going to be ought there and made available by the trade deadline.

Adding your caveat that getting Ruutu back, I really think this team needs more right handed shooters and defenders, and Penner is also a lefty.

by b.axeman on Feb 4, 2012 5:07 PM EST up reply actions