The Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks are playing live on the NHL schedule on Thursday night and the matchup is from Rogers Arena as LA travels north and they are looking to get into the playoff race and the Canucks are ahead as the season winds down and this is the first of multiple matchups for the teams.
The Kings come into the game after a win against the Colorado Avalanche on the road and they will next play against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Kings have 32 wins and they are fourth in the Pacific division with 77 points and the Canucks come in with 80 points and 38 wins this season. The Kings have struggled overall this season after winning the Cup and ironically right now the NY Rangers are first in the league in points after winning over the Capitals.
The Kings are ranked seventh in the league in goals against and they have struggled to play consistently on offense and now they face off against the Canucks. The teams will play three times over the final weeks of the season and this could be a seventh in in eight games against the Canucks. The team is within one point of the final playoff spot behind the Jets and they have not lost in the last four games and Jeff Carter comes in playing well, scoring his fifth goal in five games.
The Pacific division is very tight this season and Vancouver is second in the division and they come in after a win against the Ducks. The team plays against the Toronto Maple Leafs next and they have Henrik Sedin leading the team in points. The Kings have Jeff Carter leading in scoring and assists this season and he needs to stay hot for the chance to get into the playoffs.
Ryan Miller has played well for the Canucks and he has been out, leaving Eddie Lack the chance to step up. Vancouver hasn't won three games in a row since January and they have been dominated by the Kings in recent games and this is the chance for them to get a win or at least some points here.
Check here for the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks live coverage.
