Kings hit town tired, and tired of losing
Los Angeles Kings (29-19-10) at Vancouver Canucks (38-16-7)
When: Tonight, 7 p.m. Where: Rogers Arena
TV: SN Pacific Radio: Sportsnet 650
The buzz: “Baseball is 90 per cent mental. The other half is physical.”
That quote came courtesy of the legendary Yogi Berra. And with Major League Baseball in full spring-training mode — and the Canucks struggling to regain their game with an overtime loss and win on home ice after a four-game losing streak — it's a needed swing at easing the mood.
When Rick Tocchet was asked whether blowing a 2-0 lead in an error-filled 4-3 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday had mental or physical fatigue overtones, his response was telling. “I don't know,” said the Canucks' bench boss. “But you've got to be able to grind through. There might be something physical or mental on some guys — I understand that — but you have to stick with the game plan. If the play is there, take what's given. And wait for the next shift if nothing happens.”
The game the Canucks need to execute tonight is one of collective resolve. Being dominant in the first period, disconnected in the second and vulnerable in the third isn't going to cut it. That 260-0 run of perfection when leading after 40 minutes has become five wins in nine games when up heading into the third period. And with the Kings losing back-to-back road outings in Edmonton and Calgary by 4-2 counts, and playing their third game in four nights, there should be a resolve to set an early tone and lock down a victory.
Regardless, it can't just be J.T. Miller dragging his club into the fight to such an impressive degree that he drew long chants of “J.T. Miller, J.T Miller” on Tuesday.
Miller has 11 points (6-5) in his last five games and was fifth in NHL scoring with 81 points (30-51) heading into league play Wednesday.
The history: First meeting of the season. The Canucks went 1-2-1 in 2022-23.
The hope: The revamped power-play units, which combined to go 1-for-4 Tuesday and muster just three shots, adopt an attack-thenet determination.
The fear: Running Miller, Pettersson, Elias Lindholm and Teddy Blueger in the middle may have run its course. The Canucks have the most even-strength goals, but need a more dominant line, not just a dynamic player in Miller. The prediction: The Canucks take advantage of the Kings running on road fumes. They score all goals at even strength — L.A. has the top-rated penalty kill at 86.4 per cent — and prevail 4-2.