Sharks at Kings preview

[HockeyLady]

SHARKS (22-13-6) at KINGS (24-14-5)

4 p.m. ET; NHLN, NBCSCA, FS-W, SN, NHL.TV 

 

The Game 

The Los Angeles Kings will try to end a three-game losing streak when they face the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center on Monday.

The Kings are at risk of matching their longest losing streak of the season when they dropped four in a row in regulation from Nov. 9-16. Los Angeles is 2-4-1 in its past seven games following a 4-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. Goalie Jonathan Quick has allowed 11 goals in his past three starts, matching his worst-three game stretch Nov. 2-9.

The Sharks killed their only penalty in a 6-5 overtime win against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday, ending a streak of six straight games allowing a power-play goal. San Jose earned a point in four of its past five games (2-1-2) and has claimed 61 percent of points possible, the third-best mark in the Pacific Division behind the Vegas Golden Knights (72.6 percent) and Kings (61.6 percent).

 

Players to watch

Kings center Anze Kopitar is on a four-game point streak (goal, four assists).

Sharks defenseman Brent Burns had three assists against the Coyotes, extending his assist streak to a season-high five games.

 

They said it

"I think it's a big game no matter what. If you look at the division and the conference it's getting really crowded. I think everybody is posturing for critical points within the division." -- Kings coach John Stevens

"This month is going to be tough. The whole second half, games are going to come a little bit quicker. We've played the fewest games the first half I think probably out of just about any team and it didn't really feel like we had a lot of time off." -- Sharks forward Joe Pavelski

 

Sharks projected lineup

Timo Meier -- Joe Thornton -- Joe Pavelski

Tomas Hertl -- Logan Couture -- Kevin Labanc

Mikkel Boedker -- Chris Tierney -- Joonas Donskoi

Marcus Sorensen -- Barclay Goodrow -- Melker Karlsson

Brenden Dillon -- Brent Burns

Marc-Edouard Vlasic -- Justin Braun

Joakim Ryan -- Tim Heed

Martin Jones

Aaron Dell

Scratched: Paul Martin, Jannik Hansen, Joel Ward

Injured: Dylan DeMelo (illness)

 

Kings projected lineup

Alex Iafallo -- Anze Kopitar -- Dustin Brown

Tanner Pearson -- Adrian Kempe -- Tyler Toffoli

Marian Gaborik -- Nick Shore -- Trevor Lewis

Kyle Clifford -- Torrey Mitchell -- Andy Andreoff

Kevin Gravel -- Drew Doughty

Kurtis MacDermid -- Alec Martinez

Derek Forbort -- Christian Folin

Jonathan Quick

Darcy Kuemper

Scratched: Oscar Fantenberg, Jonny Brodzinski, Jussi Jokinen

Injured: Jake Muzzin (upper body), Jeff Carter (lower body)

 

Status report

Muzzin could return after missing two games. He said he felt good after practicing Sunday, but still had to meet with the medical staff to be fully cleared. … Brodzinski was recalled from Ontario of the American Hockey League on Sunday.

 

Stat pack

Burns has 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in his past 15 games. … Lewis has five points (two goals, three assists) in his past five games.