The Sharks hop on a plane today for a short trip down to the City of Angels. The one-game road trip to play the Kings at Crypto.com Arena is the start of back to backs that will have the Sharks returning to the Shark Tank on Tuesday night to host the New York Rangers.
The Sharks are feeling good after that 5-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night. While the Kings beat the Rangers 2-1 on Saturday, the team is having a tough go of it lately. LA is 2-5-3 in its last ten games and has fallen to the first wild card spot in the Western Conference thanks to the lack of winning and the Edmonton Oilers’ 13-game winning streak. LA will need to turn things around quickly if the team plans to stay in the race for the playoffs because the trailing teams are closing in.
The big difference for the Kings during this slump is that the goals simply aren’t going in the way they were before. When you look at the Kings goals for per 60 minutes (GF/60) from the start of the season to New Year’s Eve, Evolving-Hockey reports that the team was scoring 2.96 GF/60. However, in the past three weeks or so, it’s been a considerable drop off. The Kings are only credited with 1.53 GF/60. The goals against per 60 minutes (GA/60) is also hurting the team, though not as dramatically. For the first three months of the season, the Kings kept its GA/60 stat around 2.14. Over the past three weeks, opponents have scored .80 goals more per 60 minutes.
If the Sharks are going to beat the Kings, it will have to happen at even strength. The Kings have only allowed 17 power play goals this season, the lowest in the league.
San Jose Sharks lines in Los Angeles
For the Sharks, the big news is that young William Eklund will be dropped down to the third line. According to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, Eklund will be moved down to a line with Nico Sturm and Luke Kunin.
Full morning skate, looks like Eklund is moved down with Sturm & Kunin.
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 22, 2024
Duclair & Barabanov with Couture.
Hertl line is same, and looked like Zadina with Carpenter
Eklund has been a bit snake bit recently, so the move might make a difference and help the young forward get going.
Here’s what the lines will look like tonight, according to the Daily Faceoff.
Forwards
Fabian Zetterlund – Tomas Hertl – Mike Hoffman
Alexander Barabanov – Logan Couture – Anthony Duclair
William Eklund – Nico Sturm – Luke Kunin
Justin Bailey – Ryan Carpenter – Filip Zadina
Defensemen
Mario Ferraro – Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Henry Thrun – Jan Rutta
Nikita Okhotiuk – Kyle Burroughs
Goaltenders
Kaapo Kahkonen
Mackenzie Blackwood
Los Angeles Kings lines for Jan. 22, 2024
For the Kings, this is what the Daily Faceoff reports the lines will likely look like.
Forwards
Pierre-Luc Dubois – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
Kevin Fiala – Phillip Danault – Trevor Moore
Alex Laferriere – Quinton Byfield – Jaret Anderson-Dolan
Carl Grundstrom – Trevor Lewis – Samuel Fagemo
Defensemen
Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty
Vladislav Gavrikov – Matt Roy
Andreas Englund – Jordan Spence
Goaltenders
David Rittich
Cam Talbot
How to watch San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings Jan. 22, 2024
Sharks fans can watch the game on NBCSCA. It will also air on ESPN+, though you’ll need a subscription and blackout restrictions might apply. For Kings fans, you can watch the game on Bally Sports West. You can listen on the Kings Audio Network on iHeart Radio.
The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. You can come back here and watch the game with the rest of the Fear the Fin fans.
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