Los Angeles Kings 2015-16 Regular Season:
Game 81 vs. Anaheim, April 7, 2016, 7:30pm PST
Thursday night marks the fifth and final installment of the Freeway Faceoff this season when the Los Angeles Kings play host to the Anaheim Ducks. But there is more at stake on this night.
Both clubs enter Thursday’s matchup tied for first in the Pacific Division with 99 points. A regulation win by the Kings on Thursday and a win on Saturday gives them the division title. But it’s not that simple. Of their four meetings with the Ducks this season, the Kings lost three of them. The most recent defeat came on Mar. 5 at STAPLES Center when Jakob Silfverberg netted the winner in a 3-2 victory for Anaheim. In addition, the Ducks are 11-1-2 against the Kings in the last 14 regular-season meetings.
The Ducks, though, will be without a few key names on Thursday. David Perron, Brandon Pirri, Rickard Rakell, Kevin Bieksa and Frederik Andersen are all sidelined with injuries while Alec Martinez, who missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury, will likely miss Thursday’s game for the Kings.
Jonathan Quick, who will be looking to set a career-high with 40 wins, will get the start for Los Angeles on Thursday. However, his GAA in four games against Anaheim is underwhelming 3.62.
Whenever the Kings and Ducks meet, it gets exciting and given what’s on the line this time, that excitement will only intensify on Thursday.
Enjoy the game!