A pair of teams off much-needed victories will butt heads Sunday when the Los Angeles Kings play host to the Ottawa Senators.
The Kings enter off a 5-2 road victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday that ended a three-game losing streak. The Senators come to Los Angeles after Friday’s 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, which also ended a three-game skid.
After two defeats with Cal Petersen in goal, the Kings returned to Jonathan Quick against the Sharks, and he made 29 saves as the Kings took a 3-1 lead early in the second period on a goal from Viktor Arvidsson and cruised home from there.
“I think overall, we need to be a little more consistent, stick with our structure and good things are going to happen” Kings defenseman Sean Walker said on the Bally Sports West broadcast during a night when he helped keep the Sharks in check after scoring a goal Tuesday in a loss to the New York Rangers. “Just keep going with that game plan.”
Arvidsson added an assist Friday, while Jaret Anderson-Dolan also had a goal and an assist, giving Los Angeles the early 1-0 lead when he scored his first of the season midway through the opening period.
“Feels great,” said Anderson-Dolan, who last scored in May of 2021. “It’s been a while, so it definitely felt good.”
Sunday’s game is the opener of a four-game homestand for the Kings. Then, they hit the road Dec. 6 for a challenging six-game Eastern Conference swing that starts at Ottawa and includes stops at Toronto and Boston.
The Senators are a good starting point for the Kings’ homestand and upcoming road trip. Ottawa not only comes off a three-game slide, it lost 11 of 13 before knocking off the Ducks this week.
The Senators will be able to empty the tank at Los Angeles in their road-trip finale since they don’t play again until Wednesday when they open a home-and-home split against the New York Rangers.
Friday was the Senators’ highest scoring game since their early-season eruption when they came away with 18 goals in a three-game stretch that was part of a promising four-game winning streak.
Derick Brassard and Mathieu Joseph each had a goal with two assists against the Ducks. If there was any sense of disappointment, it was that goalie Cam Talbot lost his shutout with just under three minutes remaining. Talbot made 31 saves.
The victory had a similar vibe to the Senators’ 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 16, but that one lacked any staying power when the recent three-game losing streak followed.
Ottawa not only scored three power-play goals Friday, it also killed all six opportunities Anaheim had with a man advantage.
“We had a really good effort (Friday),” said Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk, who added a goal of his own. “Special teams came up big, (the penalty kill) was great and the power play showed up when we needed it to. Overall, it was a really fun experience.”
–Field Level Media