The Los Angeles Kings will be looking to end their second lengthy losing streak of the season when they host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon.
The Kings have lost five in a row and four straight on their seven-game homestand.
Los Angeles is coming off a 6-2 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. The lone highlight in that game was a goal and an assist by defenseman Sean Durzi in his NHL debut.
“To get it out of the way was good,” Durzi said. “I thought there was a lot to clean up, but it’s a good feeling.”
Kings coach Todd McLellan thought the Maple Leafs were the quicker team, and it showed in a number of odd-man rushes.
“One team skated like they were on top of the ice, smooth and fast, and another team just sloshed through the slush,” McLellan said. “We were slow. When we were quick to make decisions, we had poor execution, we weren’t together. It just wasn’t a good night against a real good hockey team.”
Los Angeles will go from playing one of the top teams in the NHL to one of the weakest.
The Senators came into Friday with the fewest points in the NHL (nine) and couldn’t add to their total in a 4-0 loss at the Anaheim Ducks.
Ottawa has lost four in a row and is 1-9-1 in its past 11 games.
“Right now, we are finding ways to lose hockey games,” Senators left wing Austin Watson said. “I would like to think if we went back and watched (the Ducks) game we would like a lot of it, but the goals we are giving up, or the chances that we do, are catastrophic at this point.”
The Senators are looking forward to getting back on the ice against the Kings.
“That’s kind of the beauty of hockey is you get a back-to-back like this, it’s a quick reset,” Ottawa defenseman Nick Holden said. “Focus goes to L.A., and (we) just need to just make sure we are ready to have a good start, and just continue to bring our game to them.”
Ottawa coach D.J. Smith was so disappointed by the play of goalie Matt Murray in a 6-3 loss at the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday that he made him a healthy scratch against the Ducks.
Anton Forsberg started against Anaheim and made 29 saves.
Filip Gustavsson backed up Forsberg and will likely start against the Kings.
Gustavsson started against the Kings on Nov. 11 in Ottawa and gave up two goals on 36 shots, but Jonathan Quick did not allow any and the Kings won 2-0, the final victory in their seven-game winning streak.
Gustavsson has a 3-4-1 record with a 3.41 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
Murray is 0-5 with a 3.27 goals-against average and .890 save percentage.
“We’ve got to get someone to take the net and start to win us some games,” Smith said. “We need someone to get in there and hold us right now. We’re a young team that needs someone to steal one for us, probably.”
–Field Level Media
