Photo Credit: Conrad Jack (Inside The Rink)
Los Angeles Kings (18-14-10) at Winnipeg Jets (15-22-5)
Venue: Canada Life Centre
Date: Tonight – Friday, January 9th
Time: 7:00 pm CST
How To Watch: TSN3
Radio: 680 CJOB
Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster
Los Angeles Kings News & Notes:
The Los Angeles Kings roll into Winnipeg looking to extend the Jets’ current losing skid of 11 games. The Kings are currently without Trevor Moore, Anze Kopitar, Joel Armia, and Corey Perry. They’re 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and look to get back into the win column with a win over the Jets tonight.
Winnipeg Jets News & Notes:
The Winnipeg Jets look to snap an 11-game losing streak with a win over a shorthanded Los Angeles Kings team. The Jets, who have won just three games in their last 23, sit dead last in the NHL standings and look to get their season back on track over Los Angeles tonight. 2022 3rd round draft pick Danny Zhilkin was recalled from the Manitoba Moose and made his NHL Debut against the Edmonton Oilers.
Log Angeles Kings Projected Lines
Ward – Laferriere – Kempe
Malott – Byfield – Foegele
Fiala – Turcotte – Kuzmenko
Lee – Helenius
Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Ceci
Moverare
Kuemper
Forsberg
Winnipeg Jets Projected Lines
Connor – Scheifele – Iafallo
Perfetti – Toews – Vilardi
Barron – Lowry – Niederreiter
Koepke – Zhilkin – Pearson
Morrissey – Pionk
Samberg – DeMelo
Stanley – Schenn
Hellebuyck
Comrie
Players To Watch:
Los Angeles Kings
Adrian Kempe has been incredible for the Los Angeles Kings all season, and signing a big contract extension earlier this season didn’t slow him down. The shorthanded Kings team are going to rely on him heavily to drive offence against Winnipeg.
Darcy Kuemper aims to have a strong game against the Winnipeg Jets tonight as the Kings are shorthanded. This is a big game for the Kings, and an even bigger matchup to see if Kuemper can keep himself in the Vezina conversation.
Winnipeg Jets
Cole Perfetti seems to have found his stride, and he isn’t scoring every single game, which is what he and the team would like. If Perfetti could continue to string some strong shifts together and add some points, he could be a great secondary scorer the Jets desperately need right now.
Danny Zhilkin was recently recalled by the Winnipeg Jets, and in his NHL debut, he had some strong shifts and nearly recorded a goal and an assist. The Jets’ fourth line with Zhilkin, Pearson, and Koepke on it looks great, but Zhilkin could be destined for bigger things with his second NHL game under his belt tonight.
Next game
Los Angeles Kings – January 10 vs Edmonton Oilers
Winnipeg Jets – January 11 vs New Jersey Devils
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Conrad Jack is a Manitoba based sportswriter covering the Winnipeg Jets (NHL) and the Manitoba Moose (AHL). He also covers the NHL Draft and World Junior Championship for ITR. He occasionally covers league wide news for Inside The Rink.