Optimism is beginning to take hold for the Los Angeles Kings, who will aim for their third straight victory when they host the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.
The Kings have won more than two in a row just once this season, a four-game run in mid-November, but back-to-back wins over the visiting Minnesota Wild has Los Angeles feeling good about its current state.
“I think we started playing a little bit more together,” Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper said. “That’s what it takes to be successful in this league. The way our team is built, we need everyone going every night, playing for each other. We addressed it a few days ago, and I think the last two games were great examples of us doing that.”
The 4-2 win against the Wild on Monday night was even more impressive considering the Kings were down to 10 forwards after captain Anze Kopitar (lower body) and Joel Armia (upper body) sustained injuries in the first period.
Both are day-to-day.
“Starting to get a little traction, I think,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said.
Kuemper has been at the forefront of the recent success, going start to finish in both wins against Minnesota.
“Darce, when stuff is in front of him, as long as they don’t have to go lateral, 2-on-1’s and cross-ice passes, he’s as good as there is,” Hiller said. “He’s just so big and so square.”
Warren Foegele scored against the Wild on Monday to end a 12-game goal drought. Hiller liked the way he used his speed through the neutral zone and drove hard to the net.
“We haven’t seen a lot of that out of him this year, as far as speed through the rush attack, through the neutral zone,” Hiller said. “For me, I really enjoyed that moment for him, that felt like Foegs, so hopefully it’s a springboard for him.”
The Sharks are arriving in Los Angeles with confidence following a 5-2 victory against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, their fourth win in five games.
The victory gave them 21 victories in 42 games, surpassing last season’s win total.
Macklin Celebrini scored into the empty net against the Blue Jackets to extend his point streak to a career-high 11 games.
“I think we can do a little bit better in front of our net, kind of clean up the garbage, Mighty Ducks style,” Sharks forward Ryan Reaves said, referencing the timeless movie. “Other than that, I thought it was a pretty good effort. We can limit the shots a little bit too, but I thought it was a good game.”
San Jose scored on just one of five power plays against Columbus, but the goal by former Blue Jackets forward Alexander Wennberg gave the Sharks a 2-0 cushion early in the second period.
“Our power play has had some big moments this year, and I think that was a big one,” Reaves said. “It kind of got us going and got the building a little energized.”
Yaroslav Askarov should start in goal for San Jose after Alex Nedeljkovic made 34 saves on Tuesday night.
Askarov has faced the Kings twice this season, both times in San Jose. He made 10 saves in a 4-3 loss on Oct. 28, and turned aside 31 shots in a 4-3 shootout win on Nov. 20.
–Field Level Media
