The Los Angeles Kings (34-20-8) host the Montreal Canadiens (26-30-4) at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. Montreal is coming off a 3-1 win over the Sharks on Tuesday, their third consecutive win away from home. Christian Dvorak, Kaiden Guhle, and Jesse Ylonen scored one apiece for the Canadiens.
Dvorak added an assist to lead the team in scoring. Jake Allen saved an impressive 38 of 39 shots (.974%) in the win.Los Angeles beat the Jets 6-5 (SO) on Tuesday. Anze Kopitar scored four times in regulation to lead the Kings. Pheonix Copley only stopped 26 of 31 shots (.838%).
HEAD TO HEAD
The Kings won the first meeting between the teams this season, a 4-2 victory in December, their third straight win against Montreal. Four players were on the scoresheet for Los Angeles. Mike Hoffman and Cole Caufield were on the scoresheet for Montreal. Copley got the win, saving 20 of 22 shots (.909%).
FACING OFF
Montreal is averaging 2.70 goals per game for the season, 27th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Kings team that is allowing 3.39 goals a game (22nd). Meanwhile, Los Angeles has found the net 3.31 times a game on average, 11th in the league, and the Canadiens are allowing opponents to score 3.58 goals per game (26th).
Montreal averages fewer shots (27.9) than most teams in the league, ranking 30th. Los Angeles has had difficulty stopping shots, ranking No. 31 with a team save percentage of .884%. Look for several power play opportunities for the Kings, as the Canadiens are averaging 4.42 penalties per game, fifth-most in the NHL.
The visitors’ 12.15 penalty minutes a game ranks first-highest. The home team has been penalized 3.98 times a game (12th) for an average of 8.77 minutes (15th).
The Kings’ 25.60% power play percentage is the second-best in the league, while the Canadiens rank 29th with a conversion rate of only 16.48%. When it comes to defending power plays, Los Angeles has the league’s 25th-ranked PK% at 75.83%, while Montreal is 27th at 74.26%.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 47 points this season, Nick Suzuki is the top skater for the Canadiens. He has 20 goals and 27 assists in 60 games. In the net, Sam Montembeault (12-12-2) is Montreal’s top goaltender by goals against average.
He has a 3.31 GAA and a .905% save percentage. Allen (13-18-2) leads the Canadiens in games played in goal. He has a GAA of 3.42 and a save percentage of .895%.Kevin Fiala leads the Kings in scoring with 64 points.
He has 21 goals and 43 assists. Copley (17-4-2) has the best goals against average for Los Angeles at 2.74. He has a save percentage of .901%. Jonathan Quick (11-13-4) has played the most games in net for the Kings this season. He has a 3.50 GAA and a .876% save percentage.
HOME AND AWAY
Montreal is 12-15-3 away from Bell Centre this season. Los Angeles has won three in a row at Crypto.com Arena this season.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
LA Kings (-250)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
