The Los Angeles Kings had a very successful stretch, winning five straight before losing 4-1 at Colorado on Monday. A return home against one of the Eastern Conference’s bottom teams, the Maple Leafs should have the Kings fired up to avenge a horrible 5-0 loss at Toronto last month. But the Leafs could be quite a formidable challenge considering their recent form?
Can the Kings get business done at home? Or will the Leafs put on another surprise? Read on for everything you need to know heading into this matchup. Don’t miss out on plenty of NHL action. Check out our complete previews for the Flyers vs. Wild and Red Wings vs. Sharks.
[sc:NHLArticles ]Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Los Angeles Kings Preview
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles
When: Thursday, January 7, 10:30 PM ET
Line: Toronto Maple Leafs at Los Angeles Kings – view all NHL lines
Betting on the Toronto Maple Leafs (16-15-7)
It took plenty of work (and losses) but new head coach Mike Bobcock has finally led the Toronto Maple Leafs to their first winning record of the season. The Leafs kicked off their three-game California road trip with a dominant 4-0 shutout victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Toronto can’t afford to slip up heading into tonight’s showcase as they take on Pacific Division leaders the Los Angeles Kings.
[sc:NHL250 ]The Leafs should be very confident leading into this game. They’ve won three straight on the road and have already defeated Los Angeles 5-0 on December 19. Goalkeeper Jonathan Bernier was stellar in that matchup, turning away all 26 of the Kings’ shots on goal for his first shutout of the season. Part of the Leafs’ success was limiting Los Angeles’ power play opportunities to just one. The Kings rank eighth in the league in power play percentage (20.2) this season.
Bernier has been solid recently. He’s won three straight, allowing just three goals over that stretch. Bernier has a save percentage of .975 during his three-game win streak.
The Leafs could also get the job done on offense. They’ve scored three or more goals in their last five games. Nazem Kadri has been solid during the win streak thus far, with two goals and an assist. Tyler Bozak has three assists over the last three games, while P.A. Parenteau looked unstoppable last night with two goals.
Toronto will be more difficult to stop if James van Riemsdyk and Leo Komorov can remain hot. Van Riemsdyk has a team-high 28 points, while Komorov leads the team with 15 goals. Van Riemsdyk is on a seven-game points streak with four goals and five assists. Komorov has excelled in setting up his teammates with four assisnts in his last three games.
The Leafs have won three of their last four against the Kings.
Betting on the Los Angeles Kings (25-12-2)
The Los Angeles Kings should quickly forget their horrible 4-1 loss at Colorado on Monday as they welcome the red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs to Staples Center tonight. The Kings can still be pretty confident about their recent run; before losing to the Avalanche, they had won five straight games.
The Kings have scored 3.5 goals per game in their last six contests. Tyler Toffoli and Anze Kopitar have been killers on ice with their stellar play. Toffoli has five goals and seven points over the last six games, while Kopitar is riding a six-game point streak (10 points).
They could slow down against the Maple Leafs, though. Kopitar has just six points in 10 games in his career against Toronto, while Toffoli only has four points in four matchups. They were also shutout in the first meeting between the two teams this season.
If Los Angeles is to avenge their horrible 5-0 loss at Toronto in December, then they may need to have Jeff Carter back on the ice. Carter missed the Kings’ game against Colorado due to an upper body injury. He’s been an important cog in the Kings’ offense, ranking third on the team with 28 points.
Carter may be able to come back against the Maple Leafs after taking part in the Kings’ line rushes Wednesday. He’s been solid against the Maple Leafs with 19 points (11 goals and eight assists) in 26 games against Toronto.
For a Kings domination, Los Angeles will need Jonathan Quick (22-9-1, 2.12 GAA) to show up as his usual excellent self. Quick has been stellar since Christmas, winning his last five starts with a total of just seven goals allowed. But the Kings keeper may struggle against the red-hot Leafs; he’s just 2-2-1 with a 2.74 GAA against Toronto in his career.
The Kings have won eight of their last 10 at home.
Writer’s Prediction
The Kings put a halt to Toronto’s hot stretch with a dominant victory. Create a betting account now and get involved in high-paced, intense hockey action.
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