MattMartin
Killer Instinct™
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Preview
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All time series record: The series is tied at 49-49-12 with the Islanders having a 3.2 GFPGA while the Kings are averaging 3.1 GFPGA. Islanders all time at home VS Los angeles are 29-21-5 with a 3.5 GFPGA. The Kings are averaging 2.7 GFPGA at the Islanders.
1st meeting results: Kopitar leads Kings to 3-2 victory over Islanders
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NEW YORK -- A pair of weary teams slumping for different reasons will face off Saturday night when the New York Islanders host the Los Angeles Kings at Barclays Center.
Both squads enter Saturday on two-game losing streaks. The Islanders were off Friday after suffering a wild 6-4 loss to the host Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. The Kings opened a back-to-back set Friday by falling to the New York Rangers 4-2 in the second game of a four-game East Coast road trip.
The two-game skid for the Kings (20-10-3) comes immediately after an eight-game winning streak that was tied for the second-longest run in franchise history. But even when it was winning, Los Angeles was having trouble putting pucks in the net.
The Kings scored more than four goals just twice during their winning streak and have scored three or fewer goals 20 times this season. But Los Angeles had no shortage of opportunities Friday, when it peppered Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist with 35 shots.
The Islanders (17-12-3), on the other hand, are scoring plenty of goals but allowing nearly as many. Through Friday, New York ranked second in the NHL in both goals scored (114) and goals allowed (111).
On Thursday, the Islanders came back from a 3-0 deficit to tie Columbus before giving up two goals in a span of under three minutes late in the second period. The struggles on defense have been a key factor in a 2-5-1 slide in which New York has surrendered at least five goals four times.
Thomas Greiss started for just the second time in the last 10 games Thursday, recording 29 saves. Still, that was an improvement over Jaroslav Halak, who made his fourth straight start Wednesday but was pulled for Greiss in the second period after allowing four goals on 20 shots.
Kings backup Darcy Kuemper, who has also started just two of the last 10 games behind Jonathan Quick, will likely start Saturday after Quick made 24 saves Friday.
Kuemper last played Dec. 7, when he recorded 37 saves in Los Angeles' 4-3 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators.
Greiss is 3-3-0 in seven career games against the Kings while Halak is 6-10-2 in 18 appearances. Kuemper is 1-1-0 in three career appearances against the Islanders.
Kuemper outdueled Halak and earned the win in the first meeting of the season between the teams on Oct. 15, when the Kings edged the Islanders 3-2 at Staples Center.
Useful links
Daily Faceoff – Starting Goalies, Line Combinations, Hockey News, Scores, Schedule
Sports News, Opinion, Scores, Schedules | TSN
New York Islanders News, Scores, Schedules & Standings
Islanders - NY Daily News
New York Islanders | New York Post
Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) | Twitter
Official New York Islanders Website
Last game highlights.
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Kings backup Darcy Kuemper, who has also started just two of the last 10 games behind Jonathan Quick, will likely start Saturday after Quick made 24 saves Friday.
Kuemper last played Dec. 7, when he recorded 37 saves in Los Angeles' 4-3 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators.
Greiss is 3-3-0 in seven career games against the Kings while Halak is 6-10-2 in 18 appearances. Kuemper is 1-1-0 in three career appearances against the Islanders.
Kuemper outdueled Halak and earned the win in the first meeting of the season between the teams on Oct. 15, when the Kings edged the Islanders 3-2 at Staples Center.
Useful links
Daily Faceoff – Starting Goalies, Line Combinations, Hockey News, Scores, Schedule
Sports News, Opinion, Scores, Schedules | TSN
New York Islanders News, Scores, Schedules & Standings
Islanders - NY Daily News
New York Islanders | New York Post
Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) | Twitter
Official New York Islanders Website
Last game highlights.
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