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NHL Morning Skate – March 19, 2023

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NHL Morning Skate – March 19, 2023

* The reigning Art Ross Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winners each had three points as the Oilers and Avalanche both improved their chances of clinching a berth in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* The Hurricanes scored a March Madness-esque buzzer-beating tying goal and Sebastian Aho capped his hat trick with an overtime winner as Carolina prevented Philadelphia from completing the upset.

* Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand of the League-leading Bruins both factored on the same goal twice to reach the top of an all-time franchise list Saturday.
 

McDAVID RECORDS 20TH THREE-POINT GAME OF SEASON
Connor McDavid (1-2—3) was one of four Oilers skaters to record a three-point outing, including Evander Kane who recorded his sixth career hat trick, while Zach Hyman secured his first 30-goal season to help the Oilers (39-23-8, 86 points) move within four points of the Kings (40-20-10, 90 points) for second in the Pacific Division.


* McDavid, who tallied his NHL-leading 40th multi-point outing Saturday, became the sixth player in NHL history to record 40-plus multi-point games in consecutive seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky (12 from 1979-80–1990-91), Phil Esposito (4 from 1970-71–1973-74), Guy Lafleur (4 from 1976-77–1979-80), Marcel Dionne (3 from 1978-79–1980-81) and Mario Lemieux (2 from 1987-88–1988-89).
 


* Hyman (30 years, 282 days) became the second-oldest Oilers player to record a 30-goal season, behind Ryan Smyth who scored his 30th on Feb. 22, 2007 at 31 years and one day old. Hyman also became the fourth Oilers player to reach the mark in 2022-23, marking their first campaign since 1989-90 to feature at least four 30-goal scorers.

* Stuart Skinner made 33 saves to earn his 29th career win and surpass Grant Fuhr for the most by a rookie in Oilers history. Skinner also leads all rookies in wins this season with 22.
 

MAKAR, MacKINNON HELP AVALANCHE MUSTER THEIR FIFTH STRAIGHT WIN
Nathan MacKinnon (1-2—3) recorded his fifth career 30-goal campaign and Cale Makar (0-3—3) notched his 11th career three-assist game – and fourth of the season – to guide the Avalanche (40-22-6, 86 points) to their fifth straight win as well as their 10th consecutive victory against the Red Wings.
 


* Makar boosted his 2022-23 totals to 16-45—61 (55 GP) and registered his consecutive 60-point campaign (also 28-58—86 in 2021-22). Only two other active defensemen have had multiple 60-point seasons at age 24 younger: Erik Karlsson (3x; 2011-12, 2013-14 & 2014-15) and Quinn Hughes (2021-22 & 2022-23).

* Colorado, which owns the NHL’s longest active win streak, has gone 21-9-3 since Jan. 1 – a date that saw the club begin the new year 11 points behind top-seeded Dallas in the Central Division. The second-place Avalanche, now with two games in hand, trail the division-leading Stars (38-19-13, 89 points) by only three points.

CANES MOVE THREE POINTS AHEAD OF DEVILS; RANGERS CLIMB WITHIN FIVE OF THEM
The Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes (45-15-8, 98 points) rallied past the Flyers to move three points ahead of the second-place Devils (44-18-7, 95 points), while New York (40-19-10, 90 points) blanked Pittsburgh to climb within five points of New Jersey:

* Martin Necas (1-1—2) notched a tying goal with less than a second remaining in regulation and Sebastian Aho completed the hat trick at 0:28 of overtime as Carolina stunned the hosts at Wells Fargo Center. Necas became the third player in Hurricanes/Whalers franchise history to tie a game in the final second of regulation, following Jeff Skinner (March 8, 2016) and Dave Keon (Oct. 19, 1980). Aho (30-28—58 in 61 GP) became the fifth player in club history with four or more 30-goal seasons, joining Eric Staal (5), Geoff Sanderson (4), Blaine Stoughton (4) and Pat Verbeek (4).
 


* Igor Shesterkin stopped all 33 shots he faced to record the 10th shutout of his NHL career and Patrick Kane collected two assists as the Rangers extended their point streak to six games (5-0-1). Kane (449-783—1,232 in 1,169 GP) reached 1,232 career points and tied Phil Housley (338-894—1,232 in 1,495 GP) for second place on the League’s all-time list among U.S.-born players. Mike Modano (561-813—1,374 in 1,499 GP) ranks first with 1,374.  
 


* New Jersey fell to Florida (35-27-7, 77 points), with the Panthers potting four unanswered goals to overcome a 2-0 deficit and move within one point of the Penguins (34-25-10, 78 points) who occupy the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Aleksander Barkov (238-375—613 in 651 GP) had 1-1—2 to reach 613 points in his NHL career and tie former teammate Jonathan Huberdeau (198-415—613 in 671 GP) for the most in franchise history.

WINS BY OTHER DIVISION-LEADING TEAMS FEATURED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
Saturday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured more notes from the 13-game slate, including victories by the first-place Bruins and Central Division-leading Stars:
 

* David Pastrnak (47-45—92 in 68 GP) moved within three tallies of becoming the Bruins’ first 50-goal scorer since Cam Neely in 1993-94 (50 in 49 GP) as League-leading Boston (52-11-5, 109 points) captured its 52nd win of the season. Patrice Bergeron (1-1—2) and Brad Marchand (0-3—3) both factored on the same goal for the 407th and 408th time in the regular season to pass Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge (406x) for sole possession of the highest such total by a pair of teammates in franchise history.

* Jason Robertson scored the overtime winner to cap a back-and-forth contest in Calgary as Dallas (38-19-13, 89 points) maintained its three-point lead atop the Central Division. Robertson (41-47—88 in 70 GP) tallied earlier in the game to record his second straight 40-goal season.
 

QUICK CLICKS

* Bruins give video coaches Mat Myers, Sean Andrake game puck Saturday
* Kraken fan Isola Fiddick attends game after finding bone marrow donor
* Sophie Jaques becomes first Black winner of Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award
* Anthony Duclair meets Future backstage, gifts rapper Panthers jersey
* Lightning honor Phil Esposito, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis with new Hall of Fame

Photo via @TBLightning

QUICK EYES PIECE OF U.S. HISTORY IN AFTERNOON ACTION
Jonathan Quick and the Golden Knights (42-21-6, 90 points) continue their playoff push in a contest against the Blue Jackets (21-40-7, 49 points) at T-Mobile Arena. Quick, with 374 career victories to date, sits one shy of passing John Vanbiesbrouck (374) for sole possession of second most by a U.S.-born goaltender in NHL history.
 

NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (29-42) at Los Angeles Lakers (34-37)

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NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (29-42) at Los Angeles Lakers (34-37)

With the Orlando Magic coming to town on Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to get back on track after their current two-game losing streak has slowed their ascent up the Western Conference standings.

Friday, the Mavericks defeated the Lakers 111-110 on a 3-pointer by Maxi Kleber, who was leaning toward the basket. Los Angeles was outscored 9-3 over the final 2:48 and failed to make a field goal in the final three minutes.

The Lakers were led by 26 points and 10 rebounds from Anthony Davis, but with 7.2 seconds left, Davis fouled Kleber on a 3-point attempt. Davis missed just one of his two free throws, and Kleber missed all three of his attempts.

After LeBron James left with a foot injury, Los Angeles (34-37) went on an 8-3 run from February 15 to March 14. The majority of that turnaround occurred after James left. The Lakers’ play-in tournament hopes have been harmed and their goal of finishing in the top six in the conference has suffered as a result of the two-game skid.

Seven of the Lakers’ remaining eight games are against teams that do not rank in the top six of their respective conferences.

The first of those winnable games is against the Magic (29-42), who are out of season finisher conflict in the Eastern Gathering. However, Orlando just defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on the road by scores of 113-108.

After losing six of their previous eight games, the Magic prevailed against a West-ranked team in the top five. Markelle Fultz led a comeback from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter by scoring 12 of his career-high 28 points.

Franz Wagner scored 20 points and hit a 3-pointer with 41 seconds remaining to give the victory enough cushion. Wendell Carter Jr. had 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Fultz, who had shoulder and knee injuries that limited him to 26 games the previous two seasons, has scored at least 20 points in four of his last nine games—the first time he has done so in consecutive games this season.

The teams are meeting for the first time since Dec. 27, when James scored 28 points and the Lakers won 129-110. Due to an injury to his right foot, Davis had missed 20 games.

NBA Preview: Los Angeles Clippers ( 37-34) at Portland Trail Blazers (31-39)

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NBA Preview: Los Angeles Clippers ( 37-34) at Portland Trail Blazers (31-39)

Despite having one of the NBA’s most exciting players on staff, the Portland Trail Blazers are on the verge of dropping out of the play-in race.

Pioneers star Damian Lillard will attempt to get his group back in the success section after five straight misfortunes when Portland has the Los Angeles Trimmers on Sunday night.

With only 12 games remaining, Portland (31-39) is 13th in the Western Conference and three games behind the final play-in spots.

By losing 10 of their last 13 games, the Trail Blazers have collapsed at a bad time. In addition, Portland has lost their first two games of a stretch in which eight of their nine games are played at home.

The Trail Blazers were defeated by the Boston Celtics 126-112 on Friday night, and Lillard scored 25 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter.

It was a staggering misfortune, and the seven-time Top pick guaranteed he’s not going to let down while Portland actually gets an opportunity to land a billet.

Lillard is averaging a career-high 32.4 points and has scored 20 or more points in 31 games. This season, he has scored at least 40 points in 15 games, including 50, 60, and a career-high 71.

Both the opponents and Lillard rack up the points. In 20 of its last 28 games, Portland has allowed at least 120 points.

The Celtics scored in excess of 30 places in three of four quarters in Friday’s triumph.

The Clippers (37-34) are fifth in the Western Conference, but they lost to the Orlando Magic 113-108 at home on Saturday. A winning streak of four games was ended by the defeat.

Despite the fact that Los Angeles had not played since Wednesday, star Kawhi Leonard withdrew from the game to rest the knee that had been surgically repaired. Tyronn Lue, the Clippers’ coach, didn’t say much about the situation, saying only that he knew Leonard wouldn’t play Saturday.

Los Angeles made some harsh memories without Leonard and made only 6 of 22 3-point endeavors and serious 15 turnovers. The Trimmers drove by eight after 3/4 prior to being outscored 39-26 in the last period.

Russell Westbrook admitted guilt for the defeat. He scored 14 points and had nine assists while turning the ball over six times and making just 5-of-14 shots.

Paul George had 30 points, but he also made six mistakes.

On Nov. 29, the Clippers defeated Portland, their opponent, 118-112, despite the absence of Leonard, George, and Lillard. Los Angeles’ Norman Powell, who had a season-high 32 points, is currently out with a shoulder injury. With 37 points, Anfernee Simons led the Trail Blazers.

NBA Preview: Toronto Raptors (35-36) at Milwaukee Bucks (50-20)

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NBA Preview: Toronto Raptors (35-36) at Milwaukee Bucks (50-20)

On a three-game winning streak, the Toronto Raptors will visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, hoping to make it four in a row. Milwaukee is currently leading the NBA.

On Saturday, Toronto (35-36) defeated Minnesota 122-107 at home to begin its weekend back-to-back. The Raptors scored 66 points in the first half and shot better than 53% from the field on 48 of 90 shots in the game.

Fred VanVleet had 28 points and seven assists, while Pascal Siakam had 27 points and 10 rebounds. Toronto remained in ninth place in the Eastern Conference as the duo led six Raptors players to double figures.

The Raptors have, in fact, been scoring a lot of points lately. For this run of victories, the Toronto offense has been on fire, scoring at least 122 points in each of the three games.

The Bucks are a formidable opponent for the Raptors, scoring an average of 116.2 points per game, and the Raptors will be looking to build on that success.

Milwaukee (50-20) plays at a good pace, but the last time it played, it let in 84 second-half points against the Indiana Pacers in a 139-123 defeat.

In the loss, which was the Bucks’ second in seven games, they allowed eight different Pacers to score double figures.

This was only Lopez’s second absence of the season, his first since Dec. 5. Antetokounmpo’s 31.4 points per game and Jrue Holiday’s 19.4 points per game place the veteran center third on the Bucks.

Grayson Allen and Jae Crowder sat out with foot and calf injuries, respectively, while Lopez was sidelined with an injury to his ankle against the Pacers.

The matchup between Toronto and Milwaukee on Sunday is the first of two scheduled for the final three weeks of the regular season. On April 9, they will meet once more in the regular-season finale.

In 2022-23, the Raptors have not won a game against the Bucks. On Jan. 17, they lost to the Bucks 130-122 in Milwaukee and 104-101 in overtime in Toronto. VanVleet went for 39 places in the Jan. 17 misfortune, however Occasion’s 37 and 25 from Allen significantly impacted the Bucks.

In the overtime game, Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists for a triple-double. In the defeat, VanVleet had 28 points and 12 assists.

NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans (33-37) at Houston Rockets (18-52)

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NBA Preview: New Orleans Pelicans (33-37) at Houston Rockets (18-52)

The New Orleans Pelicans’ arrival at the conclusion offered an all-too-familiar refrain, despite the fact that the wild shifts in momentum did little to provide a clear view of the upcoming outcome.

The New Orleans Pelicans conceded a 16-point second-half lead and lost 114-112 to the Houston Rockets on Friday, the first of two games against Houston. The Pelicans were in desperate need of a victory to keep up with a group of Western Conference teams vying for a spot in the play-in tournament.

The Toyota Center will host the second match on Sunday.

The Pelicans (33-37), who had been 3-8 since the All-Star break, were one half game behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who were in 10th place in the West going into Saturday, thanks to the defeat.

After taking a 14-point lead in the first quarter, New Orleans went on an incredible 22-0 run, losing by eight points. A dunk by Herb Jones with 2:13 left in the third made it 89-73.

The Pelicans were unable to maintain their lead despite strong performances from Jonas Valanciunas (22 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocks) and Brandon Ingram (31 points, 6 assists). And keeping in mind that New Orleans has 12 games left to take advantage of a chance to expand its season, each misfortune at this late stage feels particularly corrective. It is necessary to emotionally recover quickly.

By riding a sudden wave of self-assurance, the Rockets succeeded. Houston has won a season-best three games and moved up to 5-3 after snapping an 11-game losing streak.

The Rockets (18-52) responded to every time the Pelicans appeared to regain control. In addition, Houston found contributions from every angle, a reflection of the current game.

While Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, and Jabari Smith Jr. all hit crucial jumpers in the fourth quarter, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Alperen Sengun fueled the comeback in the final period. Smith hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left.

Before Porter took over, Martin and Sengun scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the fourth. Porter’s transition 3-pointer with 2:13 left after his steal cut the lead to 110-107. With 35.8 seconds remaining, Green hit a 22-footer off of a Porter inbound pass to bring Houston within one, but Smith won the game as the third option on the final play.

Smith had been lamenting his inability to secure a defensive rebound just a few moments earlier, which would have allowed the Pelicans to extend their final possession. In an amazing demonstration of versatility, Smith shook off that low second and conveyed when Houston required him to, one more demonstration of development.

NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks (35-35) at San Antonio Spurs (18-52)

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NBA Preview: Atlanta Hawks (35-35) at San Antonio Spurs (18-52)

The Atlanta Hawks cannot afford to lose their next two games, which they will play against teams ranked in the bottom three of the league, if they want to move into a guaranteed playoff spot.

The Hawks (35-35) play the Spurs in San Antonio on Sunday afternoon, kicking off that crucial stretch. The NBA’s worst team, Detroit, will play in the second game on Tuesday at home.

Atlanta travels to the Alamo City following a 127-119 home victory over Golden State on Friday. Trae Young scored 25 points, gave out 12 assists, and made crucial plays in the final seconds to secure the victory. Young has now finished the season with 34 double-doubles.

The Hawks, led by John Collins, won by 22 points, 17 of which came in the first quarter, and have won three of their last five games. They are eighth in the East standings, four games behind sixth, which is the last spot they need to avoid the play-in tournament.

In Atlanta’s victory on Friday, Onyeka Okongwu scored 19 points, Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter each scored 14, AJ Griffin scored 12 points, and Dejounte Murray scored 10.

Young praised the Hawks’ fourth-quarter defense for their victory on Friday after the game.
The Spurs have lost three of their last four games, two of which came in overtime after they had large leads in the second half. The fact that San Antonio trailed Memphis by 29 points just four minutes into the third quarter and let it all slip away made Friday’s 126-120 home loss to Memphis to Memphis’ short-handedness especially painful.

The Spurs had 25 points from Devin Vassell, 24 from Zach Collins, 21 from Keldon Johnson, 18 from Malaki Branham, and 12 from Keita Bates-Diop before leaving with an Achilles injury. San Antonio’s Sandro Mamukelashvili had a game-high 14 rebounds.

The Prods (18-52) were missing key stores Romeo Langford (left adductor), Devonte’ Graham (left quad irritation) and Doug McDermott (right hip injury). Bates-Diop is playing with Achilles soreness, and rookie forward Jeremy Sochan also left after the first period because he aggravated a knee injury.

Gregg Popovich, the coach of San Antonio, attributed the loss to the unfamiliarity of some of his players and praised his team’s perseverance and competitiveness after the game.

On February 11, in Atlanta, the Hawks defeated San Antonio 125-106 to win their first meeting of the year.

NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (38-32) at Oklahoma City Thunder (34-36)

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NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (38-32) at Oklahoma City Thunder (34-36)

Kevin Durant, a former star for the Oklahoma City Thunder, will not participate in Phoenix’s game against the Thunder on Sunday in Oklahoma City.

However, Phoenix’s hopes of moving up in the Western Conference standings depend on the performance of yet another Thunder player.

During his time with Oklahoma City from 2015 to 2017, Cameron Payne was far from a star, and he is no longer one.

However, the veteran guard has landed a position with the Suns as Chris Paul, another former Thunder star,’s backup point guard.

Getting Payne back to his best would be huge for Phoenix’s championship hopes, even though Durant and Paul appear to be more important players.

Payne has only played in two of his 10 games since returning from a sprained foot injury, missing all but two of them.

Payne, on the other hand, has been moving in the right direction. Since being activated, he has shot 53.1%, going 17-for-33, after shooting just 38.6% in the first six games.

Payne is averaging 15.5 points per game in his last two games after scoring 18 points and having five assists in Thursday’s victory over the Orlando Magic.

Payne likewise has only one turnover in almost 38 minutes over the last two games.

Thursday’s dominate snapped a three-match long string of failures for the Suns.

After suffering a sprained left ankle prior to what was supposed to be his home debut against the Thunder on March 8, Durant is expected to miss his sixth consecutive game.

Despite the fact that the Suns and Thunder are in very different situations—Phoenix is aggressively pursuing a championship, while Oklahoma City is on the verge of playoff contention as it works toward coming out of a rebuild—the teams are still not too far apart in the standings.

Only four games separate the Suns (38-32) and Thunder (34-36), with Phoenix currently sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference and Oklahoma City in ninth heading into Saturday.

The Thunder’s three-game winning streak was ended by a 128-111 defeat in Toronto. Oklahoma City has won six of its last eight by and large.

Coach Mark Daigneault of the Thunder continues to experiment with various rotations in an effort to find effective combinations.

The most significant change in the game on Thursday was the addition of more than 21 minutes for Tre Mann, who had been available but hadn’t played in five of Oklahoma City’s previous six games.

The matchup on Sunday is the third of four this season and their first in Oklahoma City. The first two were won by the Suns by an average of 20 points.

NBA Preview: Denver Nuggets (47-24) at Brooklyn Nets (39-31)

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NBA Preview: Denver Nuggets (47-24) at Brooklyn Nets (39-31)

After a rough start with their new players, the Brooklyn Nets have been playing better lately, but they are having trouble consistently getting rebounds.

The Nets hope to improve their rebounding on Sunday afternoon when they host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, who are suddenly struggling, after starting a crucial four-game homestand with a loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Brooklyn (39-31) ranks 29th in the league in rebounding average heading into Sunday. The Nets have been outrebounded in three consecutive games and in five of their last six, including Thursday, when they were outrebounded 57-41 in a 101-96 loss to Sacramento and did not score on any second chances.

They couldn’t stop Sacramento star Domantas Sabonis from getting 21 rebounds and a double-double by halftime, which was one of their problems with rebounding. They won by a score of 122-120 last week in Denver, despite being outrebounded 49-28 and giving Jokic 20 boards.

Brooklyn is two games behind the fifth-place New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference heading into Sunday with five wins in eight games.

The Nets hope to revive their offense in addition to the rebounding. The Nets have shot 41.9 percent in losses to Oklahoma City and Sacramento, after averaging 115.6 points in six games from March 3 to March 12.

Denver (47-24) is guaranteed a playoff spot and the Northwest Division title, but those accolades come at a difficult time.

From January 5 to March 6, the Nuggets won 22 of their 28 games, but they have lost five of their last six.

With a 119-100 victory over Detroit on Thursday night, Denver ended its worst four-game losing streak of the season. However, Denver struggled in the final minutes of its 116-110 defeat to New York on Saturday afternoon.

This was the fourth game in a row in which the Nuggets shot 51.2% or better. After being outscored 16-5 in the final minutes of the third quarter, Denver shot 54.5 percent and scored 91 points in the first three quarters. However, in the fourth, the team struggled and missed 11 of 18 shots, limiting them to 19 points.

Jokic had 24 points and 10 rebounds, but he has only managed 15 rebounds in six of his seven games thus far. On Saturday, he shot 2 of 6 from the field in the fourth quarter and grabbed two boards to cap a game in which Denver was outrebounded 43-33.

NHL Preview: Vancouver Canucks (29-33-5) at Los Angeles Kings (40-20-9)

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NHL Preview: Vancouver Canucks (29-33-5) at Los Angeles Kings (40-20-9)

VANCOUVER CANUCKS NOTES:

TV: Sportsnet Pacific
Radio: Sportsnet 650
MATCH-UP INFO
• Tonight marks the second of four meetings between the Canucks and Kings this season: Dec. 3 (4-1 W @ VAN), Mar. 18 (away), Apr. 2 (home), Apr. 10 (away).

• Vancouver is 117-101-32-11 all-time against Los Angeles, including a 47-63-16-5 record on the road.

• The Canucks are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games against the Kings (4-0-1 in their last five).

• J.T. Miller (5-13-18 in 17 GP) and Elias Pettersson (7-11-18 in 11 GP) co-lead active Canucks skaters in career points against Los Angeles with 18.

• Brock Boeser has 17 points (12-5-17) in 13 career games against the Kings.

• Conor Garland has 12 points (3-9-12) in 16 career games against the Kings.

• Quinn Hughes has nine points (1-8-9) in eight career games against the Kings.

• Thatcher Demko is 3-0-0 in three career games against Los Angeles with a 0.97 GAA and a .972 SV%.

• Collin Delia is 1-2-0 in three career games against Los Angeles with a 3.75 GAA and a .905 SV%.

QUICK NUMBERS
• Elias Pettersson has 19 points (6-15-21) in his last 13 games.

• Quinn Hughes has 16 points (0-16-16) in his last 17 games.

• Andrei Kuzmenko has 17 points (12-5-17) in his last 14 games.

• J.T. Miller has 14 points (7-7-14) in his last 12 games.

• Anthony Beauvillier has 16 points (7-9-16) in his last 16 games.

• Brock Boeser has seven points (1-6-7) in his last seven games.

LAST MEETING – NOV. 18/22: VAN 4 vs LAK 1
Elias Pettersson opened the scoring with his eighth goal of the season 5:40 into the second period…Andrei Kuzmenko and Ilya Mikheyev picked up the assists…Brock Boeser doubled the lead under five minutes later with his first of the season…J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes registered the assists on the power play tally…Pettersson scored his second of the evening with 5:10 remaining in the Vancouver Canucks: Media Notes second…Kuzmenko and Hughes each picked up their second assists of the night…Boeser batted home his second of the night 5:07 into the third…Sheldon Dries picked up his second assist of the season on Boeser’s goal…Curtis Lazar led the team with seven hits in his return to the lineup…Boeser led the team with four shots on goal…Thatcher Demko made 37 saves.

2022.23 TEAM RANKS
VAN LAK
Goals For/Game 3.34 (11th) 3.35 (10th)
Goals Against/Game 3.78 (31st) 3.22 (t-17th)
Power Play % 22.2 (t-11th) 24.2 (6th)
Penalty Kill % 68.2 (32nd) 76.2 (22nd)
Penalty Min./Game 9:08 (21st) 8:41 (18th)
*Rankings are accurate as of 4:00pm PT on March 17, 2023

LAST GAME PLAYED – MAR. 16/23: VAN 2 at ARI 3
Andrei Kuzmenko opened the scoring for third time in the last six games at 5:14 in the first period…His goal matched Pavel Bure’s record of 34 goals for most by a Canucks player in their first NHL season…Anthony Beauvillier and Elias Pettersson recorded the assists for their first of two points each on the night…Pettersson then tallied his 31st goal of the season at 11:41 in the third period, assisted by Beauvillier and Conor Garland…Pettersson led all Canucks skaters in shots (5)…Brock Boeser registered a team-high four hits…Guillaume Brisebois led the team in blocked shots (3)…Thatcher Demko faced 27 shots.

LAST 5 vs LOS ANGELES
• Nov. 18/22: VAN 4 vs LAK 1
• Apr. 28/22: VAN 3 vs LAK 2 (OT)
• Dec. 30/21: VAN 1 at LAK 2 (SO)
• Dec. 6/21: VAN 4 vs LAK 0
• Dec. 28/19: VAN 3 vs LAK 2

A KING’S RANSOM
Entering play on Saturday night, the Vancouver Canucks are 9-0-2 in their last 11 games against the Los Angeles Kings, dating back to Nov. 24/18 for their longest active streak without a regulation loss against a single opponent. If the Canucks earn at least a point tonight, their 12-game streak without a regulation loss against the Kings would be tied for their fourth-longest such streak against an opponent in franchise history.

OPPONENT GAMES RECORD (W-L-T-O) DATES
Colorado Avalanche 20 18-0-0-2 Nov. 1/09 – Mar. 28/13
Columbus Blue Jackets 14 12-0-0-2 Jan. 5/10 – Mar. 26/13
Los Angeles Kings 13 10-0-3-0 Jan. 31/94 – Jan. 2/97
Calgary Flames 12 10-0-0-2 Dec. 27/09 – Dec. 23/11
Chicago Blackhawks 12 11-0-0-1 Jan. 17/03 – Nov. 19/06
Edmonton Oilers 12 9-0-0-3 Dec. 30/06 – Mar. 20/08
San Jose Sharks 12 11-0-1-0 Dec. 28/91 – Oct. 24/93
Los Angeles Kings** 11 9-0-0-2 Nov. 24/18 – Present
**Tied with five other occasions (ARI, FLA, MTL, STL & TOR).

LOS ANGELES KINGS NOTES:

MARCH 18 vs. Vancouver Canucks – 7:00 PM PT // Venue: Crypto.com Arena // TV: Bally Sports West // Radio: iHeartRadio

  • The LA Kings host the Vancouver Canucks for the second of four meetings between these two clubs this season (1-4 L on Nov. 18; April 2; April 10).
  • The Kings aim to even the season series at one apiece.
  • Tonight’s game marks the fourth game of the Kings’ seven-game homestand (2-1 SOL vs. NSH on Mar. 11; 5-2 W vs. NYI on Mar. 14; 4-1 W on Mar. 16 vs. CBJ; Mar. 20 vs. CGY; Mar. 25 vs. WPG; Mar. 26 vs. STL).

WARM-UPS
1) Tonight’s game marks the second consecutive Saturday game (Mar. 11 vs. NSH) for the Kings with one more next week (Mar. 18 vs. VAN).

2) The Kings are 28-5-2 all-time when both Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty score a regular-season goal on the same game.

3) Of Adrian Kempe’s 32 goals this season, nine have come on the power-play. No Kings skater has scored 10 power-play goals in a single season since Jeff Carter (10) in the 2016-17 campaign.

4) Rasmus Kupari recorded his ninth assist of the season Thursday night, establishing a new single-season career high. Kupari now sits one point shy of tying his single-season career high in points (13) set in 2021-22.

5) The Kings are 26-2-2 when leading after two periods of play this season.

vs. VANCOUVER ALL-TIME:
All-Time Record: 112-110-32-7
Home: 68-44-16-3
Away: 44-66-16-4
OT: 13-10 (20 ties)
Shootout: 6-4
2021-22: 1-1-1
2022-23: 0-1-0

FRANCHISE LEADERS vs. VANCOUVER:
Marcel Dionne – 68 GP, 97 PTS (46-51=97)
Dave Taylor – 96 GP, 87 PTS (37-50=87)
Luc Robitaille – 81 GP, 84 PTS (39-45=84)
Bernie Nicholls – 59 GP, 78 PTS (25-53=78)
Wayne Gretzky – 47 GP, 75 PTS (20-55=75)
*-denotes active roster player

LAST MEETING vs. VANCOUVER: Nov. 18, 2022 – LAK 1 at VAN 4
Venue: Rogers Arena
LAK Goals: Lizotte (5)
VAN Goals: Pettersson (8, 9), Boeser (1, 2)
Goalies: LAK: Quick (L; 21 saves – 25 shots) VAN: Demko (W; 37 saves – 38 shots)
LAK PP: 0-for-2
LAK PK: 2-for-3

THE NEXT THREE:
Mon., March 20 | vs. Calgary Flames | 7:30 p.m. PT | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
Alex Iafallo has a five-game point streak vs. Calgary (2-3=5).

Sat., March 25 | vs. Winnipeg Jets | 1:00 p.m. PT | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The Kings have points in three of their last four games vs. Winnipeg (2-1-1), dating back to Nov. 13, 2021.

Sun., March 26 | vs. St. Louis | 7:30 p.m. PT | Bally Sports West | LA Kings iHeart Radio Audio Network
The Kings look to sweep the season series against the Blues for the third time in franchise history and the first since the 2012-13 season (3-0-0).

INJURY & MGL REPORT
Player, Games Missed, Date(s), Status
F Trevor Moore, 23 games, Dec. 27 – Jan. 31 (upper-body); Feb. 23 – Mar. 6 (upper-body)
F Alex Iafallo, 23 games, Oct. 18 – Dec. 3 (lower-body)
F Brendan Lemieux, 18 games, Nov. 14 – Dec. 20 (lower-body)
F Arthur Kaliyev, 18 games, Dec. 22 – Jan. 31 (lower-body)
F Carl Grundstrom, 15 games, Jan. 19 – Feb. 26 (lower-body)
F Gabriel Vilardi, 10 games, Nov. 27 (lower-body); Jan. 19 – Feb. 13 (undisclosed)
F Quinton Byfield, 6 games, Oct. 27 – Nov. 5 (illness)
D Sean Durzi, 6 games, Nov. 19 – Nov. 22. (lower-body); Mar. 9 – Pres. (lower-body)
F Kevin Fiala, 3 games, Mar. 11 – Pres. (lower-body)
F Viktor Arvidsson, 3 games, Oct. 13 (illness); Oct. 25 (illness); Jan. 11 (illness)
D Drew Doughty, 1 game, Dec. 11 (lower-body)

2022-23 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 126
RECENT TRANSACTIONS (as of 3/17/23)
Mar. 3 – Zack MacEwen (F) acquired from Philadelphia in exchange for Brendan Lemieux (F) and a 2024 fifth-round draft pick.
Mar. 3 – Nate Schnarr (F) acquired from Montreal in exchange for Frederic Allard (D).
Mar. 3 – Austin Wagner (F) traded to Chicago for future considerations.
Mar. 8 – Jordan Spence (D) recalled from Ontario (AHL).
Mar. 9 – Trevor Moore (F) activated from injured reserve.

LA KINGS TEAM NOTES:
HOME COOKIN’
The Kings enter tonight riding a nine-game home point streak (8-0-1), dating back to Feb. 11 (6-0 W vs. PIT). It is the first nine-gamehome point streak the Kings have established since the 2003-04 season (4-0-4, Nov. 29, 2003 – Jan. 3, 2004). Over those nine games at Crypto.com Arena, the Kings have outscored their opponents 37-17 with a goals-for per game average of 4.11, the third highest home average in the league during that time (since. Feb. 11). Should the Kings collect a point tonight, it would mark the sixth different home point streak of at least 10 games in franchise history:

Longest home point streaks in Kings history
Season Start Date End Date Games W-L-T-OT
1992-93 Oct. 10, 1992 Dec. 8, 1992 13 12-0-1-0
2001-02 Mar. 4, 2002 April 14, 2002 11 9-0-2-0
1990-91 Oct. 11, 1990 Nov. 20, 1990 11 10-0-1-0
1973-74 Mar. 2, 1974 Mar. 28, 1974 10 8-0-2-0
1972-73 Oct. 21, 1972 Nov. 22, 1972 10 8-0-2-0
2022-23 Feb. 11, 2023 Pres. 9 8-0-0-1
2003-04 Nov. 29, 2003 Jan. 3, 2004 9 4-0-4-1
1991-92 Feb. 6, 1992 Mar. 17, 1992 9 8-0-1-0
1979-80 Oct. 10, 1979 Nov. 15, 1979 9 5-0-4-0

BEST IN THE WEST
LA is 11-3-1 in their last 15 home games. In 34 games at Crypto.com Arena so far this campaign, the team has established a record of 22-9-3 with 47 points and a points percentage of .691%, topping all Western Conference teams and placing fifth in the league overall:

Best home points percentage this season
Team GP PTS% (record)
Boston Bruins 33 .864% (27-3-3)
Tampa Bay Lightning 35 .757% (24-6-5)
Toronto Maple Leafs 37 .743% (25-7-5)
Carolina Hurricanes 34 .735% (24-8-2)
LA Kings 34 .691% (22-9-3)

No team has been better since the resumption of the regular-season following the NHL All-Star break (Feb. 4 – Feb. 6) than the Kings, with a 12-2-2 record and .813% points percentage.

Best overall points percentage since Feb. 6
Team GP PTS% (record)
LA Kings 16 .813% (12-2-2)
Vegas Golden Knights 18 .778% (13-3-2)
Boston Bruins 16 .750% (12-4-0)
Colorado Avalanche 19 .711% (12-4-3)
New Jersey Devils 19 .711% (12-4-3)
Minnesota Wild 20 .700% (12-4-4)

MLS Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (0-2-1) at Los Angeles Galaxy (0-1-1)

MLS Editor
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0
MLS Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (0-2-1) at Los Angeles Galaxy (0-1-1)

The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 5-2, in the meeting at Dignity Health Sports Park last August, just the fourth in their last 10 home matches against the Whitecaps (D2 L4) dating back to 2015. The Galaxy had won each of their last seven home matches against the Whitecaps from 2011 to 2014.

After taking one point from their first two games on the road, the Los Angeles Galaxy ill their home opener on Saturday. Los Angeles is unbeaten in its last seven home matches (W4 D3, including playoffs), equaling its longest home unbeaten run since going nine in a row without defeat defeat in Carson in June-September 2018 (W5 D4).

The Vancouver Whitecaps FC are winless in nine straight road matches (D4 L5), including losing their last four away from home. Vancouver has won just four road games since the start of of the 2021 season (D14 L17), tied for the fewest of any team that has been in MLS for all three seasons (Toronto FC and Houston Dynamo FC).

Johnathan Bond saved all 11 shots on target he faced against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, the second time he’s made more than 10 saves while keeping a clean sheet (12 vs San Jose Earthquakes in May 2011). Bond is the only goalkeeper in MLS to have two such games since 2010.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s lone goal against FC Dallas, a Paul Arriola own goal, was scored off of a throw-in. It was the fourth Whitecaps goal since the start of the last year that came off a throw-in, the most in MLS in that time.

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