team records:
Octopus: 41 – 25 – 8 (90 points)
Kings: 43 – 22 – 10 (96 points)
previous meeting:
Video: [email protected]: Kraken beat Kings 9-8 in overtime
Kings Notes:
The Kings will go into their 11th set of consecutive games of the year this weekend. Only Boston (0.833%) and Colorado (0.727%) have a higher point percentage in back-to-backs this season than the Kings (0.700%). Kings is 7-2-1 with 0.750 PTS%, also third best in the league.
The LA Kings have not been afraid of body sacrifices lately, including gunfire. The Kings have blocked at least 15 shots or more in four of their last five games. With 10 blocked shots Thursday night in Edmonton, the Kings’ blocked shot count for the season rose to 1,204, the sixth-highest in the league. Since the league began tracking blocked shots in the 2005-06 season, no Kings team has recorded more blocked shots than this year. Leading the kings in blocked shots is the defender Matt Roy with 141 to 75 games. Anze Kopitar leads all Kings forwards in the number of shots blocked with 81, which is also the third most common among forwards in the league.
The Kings have been one of the toughest teams in puck fighting this season, especially in the neutral and defensive zones. The Kings’ neutral zone (NZ) LPR rate with 32.9% contested loose pucks is above all teams, while their contested defensive zone (DZ) LPR rate (31.5%) lags behind New Jersey (32, 4%) and Calgary (31.9%). The team’s overall contested LRP rate of 29.0% ranks second in the league this season, behind only Boston (29.6%).
The LA Kings put on one of the best single-month performances in franchise history, posting a 9-2-2 record for a 0.769 point percentage (PTS%), the third-best in the league over the past month. The Kings were even more impressive at home, winning eight games at the top league level to break the franchise record for most home wins in a single month (March 1974; 8-2-1-0). No team conceded fewer goals in March than the Kings (27), while they ranked second at 2.08 conceded goals per game behind Boston (2.07).
The Kings power play ranks 4th in the NHL (25.2%).
The Kings Penalty Kill ranks 23rd in the NHL (75.5%).
The Kings are 3rd in percentage of faceoff wins (53.3%).
Kraken Notes:
The Kraken are 12-8-2 against the Pacific Division and 3-0-0 against the Kings this season.
The Kraken power play ranks 23rd in the NHL (19.2%).
The Kraken penalty is ranked 25th in the NHL (75.1%).
The Kraken are 31st in percent of faceoff wins (45.3%).
Who to see:
Vladislav Gavrikovwho leads the league in successful stick checks in the neutral zone (49).
Vince Dunn, who leads the Kraken blue line with 61 points (13-4=61).
