Appearing every bit the playoff contender, the Kings will seek to gain ground in a crucial four-point game against the Ducks in Anaheim on Friday and a matchup at home with the New York Islanders on Saturday.
The Kings have won three consecutive games and have booked at least one point in nine of their last 10 contests, including seven victories. They have been especially formidable on the road, winning five in a row away from home heading into the critical meeting with the Ducks. They’ve also strung together a six-game points streak against Eastern Conference opponents, including a win over the Islanders on Jan. 27.
“We should play that way all the time. We’ve just played a lot of road games lately, and we’ve got four more or five more coming up. This is our road time,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “It’s interesting because on Saturday, we go back and play a home game and we haven’t won at home since the middle of January, but we haven’t played at home since the middle of January, really.”
Most recently, the Kings won a second straight game against the Arizona Coyotes, with winger Viktor Arvidsson scoring two goals, including the game-winner. Given his activity level and aggressiveness, he could have had an even more prolific night alongside linemates Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore.
“He’s confident, he feels good playing with those guys, he’s shooting the puck from everywhere,” McLellan said. “He had an open net on the power play, and an open net on an open net, so he should have had a hat trick.”
The Ducks sit just two points back of the Kings, tied with the Edmonton Oilers in a tight race in the middle of the Pacific Division. They are at a bit of an impasse, especially given that they have several free agents-to-be as they evaluate whether to be buyers or sellers at the March 21 trade deadline. They won their only other meeting with the Kings this season 5-4 in overtime on Nov. 30.
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The Islanders have been one of the NHL’s biggest disappointments. After two straight trips to the conference finals, they found themselves a staggering 17 points behind the East’s wild-card race entering Thursday’s games.
Kings at Ducks
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Honda Center
TV/Radio: KCOP 13/iHeartRadio
Islanders at Kings
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/Radio: Bally Sports West/iHeartRadio (English)/Tu Liga 1330 (Spanish)