The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks will drop the puck Sunday night at Honda Center. It's the first of three matchups between these teams this season. The Kings are coming off a 4-1 win against Montreal on Thursday, while the Ducks are coming off a 4-3 loss in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.
Both teams are off to solid starts. The Kings have a record of 2-1-2, while the Ducks have a record of 2-1-1. Tonight, there will be a showcase of the two NHL teams that got new logos this offseason. The Kings have dominated this matchup recently, winning nine of the last ten meetings.
1. The Ducks need to rebound after a tough loss Friday night
The Ducks put up a great fight against Colorado on Friday night, despite getting dominated at 5v5 and getting outshot 49-20. It's a miracle Anaheim got a point out of that game, and they'll need to show more aggressiveness on the offensive side tonight.
The Ducks should have a chip on their shoulder tonight and have the desire to play better in front of their goaltender. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper was placed on injured reserve, so it'll either be Pheonix Copley or David Rittich in net for LA.
2. Look to see the different energy levels of each team early on
As stated above, these two teams have different outlooks going into tonight's game. The Kings have a few days of rest, coming off a pretty convincing victory, while the Ducks came off a tough loss where they battled back and stayed in it.
This will be an important win for whichever team comes out on top. It is important to stack points up, especially early in the season.
3. Both teams goaltenders have different things to play for
Whether it's James Reimer or Lukas Dostal for Anaheim, both goalies have something to play for. Dostal/Reimer is a tandem that has kept the Ducks afloat while John Gibson has been out. In fact, Dostal has been sensational to start the season, while Reimer is likely a fill-in until Gibson is healthy.
The Kings tandem of Copley/Rittich is different. Copley is a mere fill-in until Darcy Kuemper comes back, while Rittich has been assuming the starter role. Both team tandems aren't fully healthy, so that could create an interesting dynamic in this game