The Los Angeles Kings won’t have much time to lick their wounds after their latest heartbreaking loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Kings will visit Anaheim on Saturday night after falling to 3-2 in a shootout on Friday, their second shootout loss to the Ducks this season.
Los Angeles was up 4-2 midway through the third period in Anaheim on Nov. 28 and lost 5-4 in a shootout.
The Kings went up 2-0 against the Ducks in the second period on Friday before taking a 3-2 shootout defeat.
It marked the third straight loss for Los Angeles and fifth defeat in the past six games, with three of the losses coming after regulation.
“We’ve been on the wrong side of the luck sometimes,” Kings forward Joel Armia said. “It’s frustrating, but we’ve just got to stay cool here and focus on the next game and go win it.”
Armia was one of the team’s bright spots on Friday, contributing a goal and an assist after missing the previous five games with an upper-body injury.
The Kings were still without captain Anze Kopitar (lower body) and fellow forwards Corey Perry (personal) and Trevor Moore (upper body), but the Ducks also were missing three key forwards.
Leo Carlsson will miss approximately three to five weeks after having a procedure on Friday to treat a lesion in his left thigh. Troy Terry sat out his fourth straight game due to an upper-body injury, and Chris Kreider was out because of an illness.
Ian Moore, normally a defenseman for Anaheim, got a chance to play on the fourth forward line, and his teammates were impressed.
“There’s a lot of opportunities for guys to step up, and I’m proud of the way the guys are doing that,” Ducks forward Mason McTavish said. “We have a defenseman playing forward and he’s buzzing out there. … It’s fun to watch those guys … take a step.”
Ville Husso likely will start in goal for the Ducks after Lukas Dostal made 26 saves on Friday.
Husso made his only NHL start in the past month on Jan. 8 in a 5-2 road loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He has dropped his past three starts overall (0-2-1).
Husso has made five starts against the Kings in his career, going 3-1-1 with a 3.19 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. He made his first start of the season against Los Angeles on Nov. 28 and made 23 saves during a 5-4 shootout win.
Anton Forsberg is expected to start in goal for Los Angeles after Darcy Kuemper made 26 saves on Friday.
Forsberg is coming off a 4-3 shootout win at the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 10 in which he made 23 saves in regulation and overtime, then stopped all three attempts in the shootout.
Forsberg has made five starts against Anaheim in his career, compiling a 1-4-0 mark in those games with a 3.18 GAA and an .894 save percentage.
“Every game is an opportunity to win,” Armia said. “It’s a good thing (the next game is) going to come quick. You can’t stay sad or whatever, just got to keep your head up and go on and win the next game.”
–Field Level Media
