Dawdler
Run to the Hills!!
- Aug 2, 2005
- 2,315
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PANTHERS (26-20-10) at KINGS (28-24-4)
Panthers team scope
Roberto Luongo, who did not play in a 4-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, is expected to start in goal for the Florida Panthers. Cramps forced Luongo out of the game late in the third period of a 6-5 shootout win against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. However, he participated in the morning skate on Friday. "[Backup James Reimer] was huge," Keith Yandle said. "He bailed us out. He made a lot of great saves. Our goaltending has been amazing this year. When we were missing guys, they were stealing games for us and they continue to do the same." The Panthers have won three straight games on their five-game road trip. They are 6-1-0 in the past seven games, losing to the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 9 at BB&T Center. Florida has scored 28 goals in the past six games The Panthers are one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
Kings team scope
Darryl Sutter, who will coach his 400th game with the Kings, would tie Andy Murray for first on the Kings' all-time list wins list (215) with a victory against the Panthers. "Number one, their defense leads the league in shots for," Sutter told L.A. Kings Insider. "They're second in even strength goals from their defense, their centermen since they got [Aleksander] Barkov back, with [Vincent] Trocheck and Barkov, one guy's got 20 goals, one guy's missed 15 games and got 13 goals. They've got two really good lines because they do that. [Jonathan] Huberdeau's been back for five games. Excellent young player." Los Angeles is one point behind the Calgary Flames for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. Jeff Carter tied an NHL career high with four points against the Panthers in the win earlier this season. Peter Budaj will start in goal.
Panthers projected lineup
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Aleksander Barkov -- Jaromir Jagr
Jussi Jokinen -- Vincent Trocheck -- Reilly Smith
Greg McKegg -- Nick Bjugstad -- Jonathan Marchessault
Shawn Thornton -- Derek MacKenzie -- Colton Sceviour
Keith Yandle -- Aaron Ekblad
Mark Pysyk -- Alex Petrovic
Michael Matheson -- Jason Demers
Roberto Luongo
James Reimer
Scratched: Michael Sgarbossa, Jakub Kindl
Injured: none
Kings projected lineup
Anze Kopitar -- Tyler Toffoli --- Trevor Lewis
Tanner Pearson -- Jeff Carter -- Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford -- Nic Dowd -- Marian Gaborik
Dwight King -- Nick Shore -- Adrian Kempe
Derek Forbort -- Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin -- Alec Martinez
Brayden McNabb -- Paul LaDue
Peter Budaj
Jeff Zatkoff
Scratched: Andy Andreoff, Kevin Gravel
Injured: Jordan Nolan (muscle pull), Matt Greene (undisclosed), Jonathan Quick (lower body)
Status report
Kempe is expected to skate on the fourth line though no announcement was made. He started on the top line with Kopitar and Toffoli in a 5-3 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday.
Who's hot
Pearson has scored three goals in the past two games. ... Carter has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in the past 11 games. … Barkov has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the past 11 games. ... Huberdeau has seven points (three goals, four assists) in the past five games. ... Yandle is two points from 400 in his NHL career. ... Trocheck has nine goals (18 points) in the past 15 games. ... Jokinen has three goals in the past four games.
