The Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings (2-3-2) look to get on the right track when they face-off against the Columbus Blue Jackets (3-5-1) on Tuesday night.
After getting an extended break during the lockout, few expected the Los Angeles Kings to start the season off poorly; however they have done just that. Playoff MVP Jonathan Quick has gotten off to a tough start with a 2.72 goals against average and a 89.7 save percentage. His backup Jonathan Bernier has been worse with a 4.53 GAA and an 81.0 save percentage. The Kings have lost two straight including a 7-4 debacle against the Anaheim Ducks.
"We've let ourselves down and shot ourselves in the foot by poor defensive play," said forward Justin Williams. "For whatever reason, we've been having tough times starting games. We've been getting behind early and trying to battle back. Once we do get back, we seem to just relax a bit. We're a much better team than we're showing and it's extremely disappointing at this point to see where we are."
The Columbus Blue Jackets were never expected to be contenders this season but they have been far from doormats. In their most recent game, the Jackets took down the mighty Detroit Red Wings 4-2. Columbus got two goals from summer acquisition Artem Anisimov. "We established the forecheck early and we just kept going, kept going," said Anisimov. "We kept the momentum and just kept going."
Previous Meetings: This is the first of three meetings between the two teams. Last season the teams split the four matches.
Predictions: On most days, the Kings should win this but their unpredictable play this year gives a slight edge to the Jackets. I think there will be an upset here with Columbus winning 4-3.
Start Time: 7 PM EST
TV: FS-W, FS-O
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