LOS ANGELES KINGS NOTES:
WARM-UPS
1) Vladislav Gavrikov makes his return to Columbus for the first time since his trade to the Kings on Feb. 28, 2023.
2) Kevin Fiala skates into Nationwide Arena with 11 points (3-8=11) in nine career games against the Blue Jackets, including nine (2- 7=9) in his last six consecutive outings.
3) Carl Grundstrom has three points (1-2=3) in his last two games vs. Columbus.
4) Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty each recorded a point in a game for the 378th time on Sunday night vs. Colorado. The Kings are 251-92-35 in regular-season contests when both players get on the score sheet.
5) The Kings have allowed two or fewer goals in each of their last seven games, dating back to Nov. 16, 2023.
vs. COLUMBUS ALL-TIME:
All-Time Record: 37-21-1-6
Home: 22-10-1-0
Away: 15-11-0-6 OT: 6-7 (1 tie)
Shootout: 2-1 2022-23: 1-0-1
INJURY & MGL REPORT
Player, Status (Consecutive Games Missed, Total Games Missed, Dates)
F Viktor Arvidsson, 21 games, Oct. 11 – Pres.
F Blake Lizotte, 5 games, Nov. 20 – Pres.
D Tobias Bjornfot, 3 games, Nov. 24 – Nov. 29
2023-24 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 29
RECENT TRANSACTIONS (as of 12/4/23)
Dec. 1 – Tobias Bjornfot (D) assigned to Ontario (AHL) on a conditioning loan.
Dec. 2 – Jacob Moverare (D) recalled from Ontario (AHL).
ROAD WARRIORS
The Kings begin their four-game road trip riding a season-opening nine game road winning streak (9-0-0) and are just the third team in league history to win each of their first nine road games to start a season: 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres (10 GP) and 2009-10 New Jersey Devils (9 GP). A win tonight would tie them with the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres for the longest season-opening road winning streak in NHL history. The team’s nine-game run is also the longest regular-season road winning streak in franchise history:
PENALTY KILLIN’ IT
The Kings enter tonight having successfully killed of 32 of their last 33 penalties, dating back to Nov. 4 at Philadelphia, for a league-best penalty-killing percentage (PK%) of 89.7%. The Kings’ PK unit will go up against the Columbus’ 86.8 PK%, which ranks fourth in the league:
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS NOTES:
OhioHEALTH INJURY REPORT
Tarasov (knee): Placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve retroactive to Oct. 12 (26 games)
Roslovic (fractured ankle); Placed on Injured/Non-Roster (Nov. 13); 4-6 weeks (11 games)
Severson (oblique); Placed on IR Nov. 30 retroactive to Nov. 19; 6 weeks (7 games)
Sillinger (upper body); day-to-day (2 games)
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 67
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Dec. 2 Placed Tarasov on Long-Term Injured Reserve and loaned to Cleveland (AHL) on LTI conditioning assignment
AGAINST THE KINGS
2023-24 Series: 0-0-0 (0-0-0 vs. LAK)
2022-23 Series: 1-1-0 (1-0-0 vs. LAK)
All-Time Series: 27-31-1-6 (17-11-0-4 vs. LAK)
Last 10 (Overall | Home): 4-5-1 | 5-3-2
All-Time GF/GA: 157/195
All-Time SF/SA: 1,726/2,057
All-Time PP: 31-of-250
All-Time PK: 215-of-263
THE LAST GAME VS. LAK: MAR. 16, 2023 – CBJ 1 at LAK 4
CBJ Goal Scorers: Marchenko (17) LAK Goal Scorers: Doughty (5), Kopitar (26), Arvidsson (19), Grundstrom (8)
Goalies: CBJ – Tarasov (23/27; 33:48), Hutchinson (9/9; 26:02); LAK – Copley (30/31; 60:00)
CBJ PP: 0/2; PK: 3/3 | Shots: CBJ: 31 / LAK: 36
Noteworthy: CBJ split their season series vs. LAK (winning 6-5 in OT on Dec. 11)… LAK scored all 4 of their goals in the 2nd period with CBJ scoring their lone goal 4:31 into the 3rd period… Marchenko scored a goal, giving him 3-1-4 in his past 9 contests… Bayreuther tallied his 9th assist of the campaign and has assists in 2 consecutive games (0-3-3).
NOTED (Team Highlights vs. LAK)
CBJ have registered points in 5 of the last 7 games of the series since 12/13/18 (4-2-1)… CBJ have recorded points in 4-straight home games of the series (3-0-1) and 8 of the last 11 at NWA since 3/8/12 (6-3-2)… Winning team has scored 3+ goals in 15 of the last 16 games of the series and 4+ goals in 8 of the last 10 (including SO goals)… CBJ have recorded a PPG in 6 of the last 9 home games of the series since 1/21/14 (7-of-22; 31.8 pct.), including finishing 2-of-3 on the man advantage in the most recent game in Ohio on 12/11/22… CBJ have killed off all 14 Kings power play chances over the past 7 games of the series overall as well as all 10 opportunities in the last 5 home contests and 18-of-19 over the past 9 at home (94.7 pct.)… CBJ have recorded 4 of the 9 shutouts, including the most recent one on 1/7/12 (Sanford 31 saves in 1-0 win at LAK)… CBJ own 2 of the 6 hat tricks with Tyler Wright (10/27/02) and Ray Whitney (2/27/03) each recording 3 goal games for CBJ… Most goals scored vs. LAK: 7 (2/08/06)… Most goals allowed vs. LAK: 8 (11/13/05).
NOTED (Player Highlights vs. LAK)
Boqvist skated in his NHL debut on 11/2/19 at LAK… Gaudreau notched his 1st career hat trick on 12/22/14 at LAK (Quick)… Gudbranson notched his 1st career NHL goal on 12/1/11 at LAK… Marchenko scored his 1st career NHL goal on 12/11/22 vs. LAK… Provorov notched his 1st career NHL point (assist) in his debut on 10/14/16 at LAK.
A LOOK AT DECEMBER
The Blue Jackets fell to 4-3-0 in the last seven games overall following a 3-1 loss at Boston on Sunday. The team, which plays three of its next four contests at home, is 3-1-0 in the past four games at Nationwide Arena. Last Sunday’s game at Carolina kicked off a stretch of nine games – including six at home – in 15 days through Dec. 10. The Blue Jackets will play eight of their 14 games in December at home. Sunday’s game at Boston kicked off a stretch of playing a team from each division over a span of six days this week. The club also faces Los Angeles (Pacific) on Tuesday, at the NY Islanders (Metropolitan) on Thursday and vs. St. Louis (Central) on Friday.
JACKETS ON THE KILL
The club has allowed a power play goal in two-straight games from Dec. 1-3 (8-of-11) for just the second time this season (5-of-8 from Oct. 14-16). The Blue Jackets have allowed power play goals in just four of the past 19 games, killing off 46-of-51 opponent power play chances since Oct. 28 (90.2 pct.). CBJ had killed off all 22 opponent power play opportunities over nine contests from Oct. 28-Nov.14 with the nine games without allowing a power play goal tied for the second-longest stretch in franchise history (Feb. 21-Mar. 9, 2013) and trailing only the 11 games from Dec. 31, 2018-Jan. 29, 2019. The club ranks fourth in the NHL in penalty kill percentage this season at 86.8 pct. (66-of-76) and lead the league in penalty kill percentage since Oct. 20, killing off 58-of-65 opponent power play chances over the last 23 games (89.2 pct.).
BLOCK IT LIKE IT’S HOT
CBJ have been credited with 286 blocked shots over the past 15 games dating back to Nov. 6. The club ranks second in the NHL in blocked shots (495) and third in blocked shots-per-60 minutes (18.84). Defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who has recorded 1-5-6 in his past 32 contests, leads the team and ranks sixth-T in the league in blocked shots in 2023-24 with 64.
FROM THE BLUE LINE
CBJ blueliners have combined for 5-19-24 in the past 10 games. They have collected 10-51-61 in 26 games this season to rank third-T among NHL defensive units in assists and seventh in points, as well as lead the league in assists percentage (41.8 pct.) and points percentage (31.1 pct.) recorded by its defense. The club’s blueliners tied a single-game club record with eight points (1-7-8) on Nov. 22 vs. Chicago. Defenseman Ivan Provorov recorded his 13th assist of the season on Friday and ranks second on the team in assists and time on ice and third in points with 2-13-15 on 23:05 TOI in 26 contests. He recorded a four-game points streak (1-3-4) from Nov. 16-22, tying his career-high points streak for the fifth time (MR: 0-4-4 from Oct. 20-26, 2023). Blueliner Damon Severson, who suffered an oblique injury on Nov. 19, has collected 3-5-8 in 19 games, including his third career two-goal game (MR: Jan. 16, 2018 at NYI) on Nov. 16 vs. the Coyotes.
