Vitals, Betting Odds, and Projected Lineups in LA Kings vs New Jersey Devils

When these two teams get together, you just can’t help but think of 2012, right? Sorry, Devils fans.

The LA Kings won the first matchup 3-2 in overtime back in November. Now, they face a New Jersey team playing in the second leg of a back-to-back, a team that topped the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4 on Saturday.

Tale of the Tape

Power-play:

LAK: 16.8% (24th)

NJD: 15.9% (26th)

Penalty Kill:

LAK: 73.5% (28th)

NJD: 81.8% (11th)

Faceoffs:

LAK: 53.4% (6th)

NJD: 47.5% (25th)

Goals per game:

LAK: 2.78 (22nd)

NJD: 2.92 (17th)

Goals against per game:

LAK: 2.73 (10th)

NJD: 3.41 (26th)

Top scorers:

LAK: Anze Kopitar – 13 goals, 23 assists, 36 points

NJD: Jesper Bratt – 11 goals, 23 assists, 34 points

Betting Odds

Courtesy of The Action Network:

Projected Lineups

Here’s how the Kings aligned in Saturday’s practice, via LA Kings Insider:

Iafallo – Kopitar – Fagemo
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Grundstrom – Byfield– Brown
Lemieux – Lizotte – Kaliyev
Extras: Athanasiou, Turcotte, Kupari

Anderson – Doughty
Maatta – Roy
Bjornfot – Durzi
Extras: Wolanin, Strand

Quick

Petersen

Villalta

After sitting in place of Carl Grundstrom‘s return to the lineup on Thursday, I’d like to see Alex Turcotte slot back in on Sunday. He needs to be making regular starts if he’s going to remain with the NHL club.

Continuing the rotation in net, Cal Petersen would be the expected starter on Sunday after Jonathan Quick went on Thursday. Petersen has faced the Devils twice in his career, owning a .912 SV% and 2.50 GAA. In his last time out, the Waterloo, Iowa native allowed five goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Here’s how the Devils lined up in Saturday’s game against Carolina:

Lines & pairs for tonight 👇 pic.twitter.com/dpwjAu3Wa6

— Devils on MSG (@DevilsMSGN) January 22, 2022

Note that Colton White replaced Ty Smith on the third defensive pairing. Smith, 21, is sidelined with an upper-body injury and was placed on the Injured Reserve yesterday.

The Kings and Devils get underway at 4 pm PT.

UPDATE:

Juice is back!

🧃❗️

Good news, @LAKings fans! Adrian Kempe will be back in action tonight in New Jersey, per Todd McLellan.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) January 23, 2022