The San Jose Sharks face the Los Angeles Kings for the first time this season.
The San Jose Sharks (9-19-3) face the Los Angeles Kings (17-6-4) for the first time this season.
The Kings have been the best road team in the NHL this season. They have an absurd 12-1-1 record when playing away from home ice.
Sharks head coach David Quinn said the Kings' centers are some of the best in the league.
"They may have the best group of centers in the league," Quinn said. "They're big. They're experienced. They got everything. They've got some speed with the size, and that's a dangerous combination."
Anze Kopitar, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Phillip Danault are all terrific NHL players. Kopitar's line of Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe is one of the best top lines in the NHL.
Newly acquired Sharks forward Jack Studnicka talked about what the team needs to do to counteract what the Kings do well.
"They play a very honest game. They play their system really well, that 1-3-1," Studnicka said. "It's up to us to not get stubborn and trust the process, going against that system, and hopefully it goes well."
Anthony Duclair is set to rejoin the lineup after being a healthy scratch last game. Calen Addison and Jan Rutta will be game-time decisions.
Kaapo Kahkonen was the first goalie off the ice this morning for San Jose.
Sharks projected lines:
Eklund-Hertl-Barabanov
Duclair-Granlund-Zetterlund
Hoffman-Kunin-Bailey
Zadina-Studnicka-Labanc
Ferraro-Burroughs
Okhotiuk-Thrun
Vlasic-MacDonald
Kahkonen
Blackwood
Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. PST and can be seen on ESPN+/Hulu or the Sharks Audio Network.
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