The Florida Panthers (23-21-6) play host to the Los Angeles Kings (27-17-6) at FLA Live Arena on Friday. Los Angeles is coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Flyers on Tuesday. The Kings committed four penalties in the game, though they held Philadelphia without a power play goal.
Anze Kopitar was the top goalscorer for the Kings with two goals. Pheonix Copley only saved 28 of 31 shots (.903%) in the win. Florida is playing the first of five games at home after a 7-6 overtime loss against the Penguins on Tuesday.
Carter Verhaeghe was the leading goal scorer for the Panthers, netting twice. Aaron Ekblad had a goal and two assists to lead the team in scoring. Alex Lyon saved only 42 of 49 shots against (.857%) in the loss.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Kings won the first meeting between the teams this season, a 5-4 victory in November, their fourth straight win against Florida. Trevor Moore (1G 1A), Viktor Arvidsson (1G 1A), and Kopitar (0G 2A) each had two points to lead Los Angeles. Verhaeghe led Florida with two goals. Jonathan Quick got the win despite allowing four goals on 38 shots (.894%).
FACING OFF
Los Angeles is averaging 3.18 goals per game for the season, 16th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Panthers team that is allowing 3.50 goals a game (24th).
Meanwhile, Florida has found the net 3.40 times a game on average, eighth in the league, and the Kings are allowing opponents to score 3.38 goals per game (22nd).
Florida averages more shots/game (35.1) than most teams in the league, ranking third, though the team’s 9.7% shooting percentage is 21st. Los Angeles has been one of the league’s least successful shot-stopping teams, ranking No. 31 with a team save percentage of .885%.
Look for several power play opportunities for the Kings, as the Panthers have been penalized 4.94 times a game, most in the NHL, for an average of 12.42 minutes (second-highest).
The visitors are averaging 3.94 penalties (14th) and 8.44 penalty minutes a game (21st). The Kings’ 24.28% power play percentage ranks ninth in the league, while the Panthers are 13th with a conversion rate of 23.73%. When it comes to penalty killing, Los Angeles has the league’s 25th-ranked PK% at 74.12%, while Florida is 27th at 73.80%.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 51 points this season, Kevin Fiala is the top skater for the Kings. He has 17 goals and 34 assists in 50 games. In the net, Copley (13-3-0) is Los Angeles’ top goaltender by goals against average. He has a 2.79 GAA and a .896% save percentage.
Quick (8-11-4) leads the Kings in games played in goal. He has a GAA of 3.34 and a save percentage of .884%. Matthew Tkachuk leads the Panthers in scoring with 62 points (8th in the league). He has 25 goals and 37 assists.
Spencer Knight (9-7-3) has the best goals against average for Florida at 3.06. He has a save percentage of .906%. Sergei Bobrovsky (12-13-2) has played the most games in net for the Panthers this season. He has a 3.25 GAA and a .897% save percentage.
HOME AND AWAY
Los Angeles is 13-8-4 on the road this season. Florida is looking for a fourth consecutive home win this season.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
Florida Panthers (-140)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
