By Andrew Phillip Chernoff | CanucksBanter

November 7, 2024

The Vancouver Canucks (6-2-3, t-3rd Pacific Division) and Los Angeles Kings (8-3-3, 2nd Pacific Division) face off tonight at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

Game 411

• The Kings have been strong at home with a 3-0-1 record, having not lost in regulation on home ice this season.
• Canucks are 5-1-0 on the road this season, undefeated in their last 5 on the road, outscoring the opposition 21-12 in their 6-games.
• Los Angeles are also on a hot streak, with a 6-2-1 record in their last 9 games.
• The Canucks are coming off a successful start to their California road trip with wins against the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks.
• This game concludes the road trip for the Canucks. They’ll be looking for a strong finish against a tough Kings team.
• With the Kings home ice dominance the Canucks will need to bring their best to overcome this challenge.
• With both teams in the same division, games between Vancouver and Los Angeles have always been intense and competitive. This one won’t be any different.

Players to Watch:

• Los Angeles:
  • Keep an eye on Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe, Alex Laferriere, Vladislav Gavrikov, who have been key contributors to the Kings’ success.
  • Goalie Darcy Kuemper: He has a 4-0-3 record in 7 starts, GAA of 2.67, and  an SV% of .899. He also recently recorded his first shutout of the season.
• Vancouver:
  • Canucks watch list: Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, Kiefer Sherwood, Jake DeBrusk, Filip Hronek will be crucial for the Canucks’ offensive and defensive efforts.
  • Goalie Kevin Lankinen: Has a 6-0-2 record in 8 games, with a GAA of 2.09 and SV% of .923. In Thatcher Demko’s absence, Lankinen has provided much needed stability in net. He’s shown he can handle a starter’s workload and consistently deliver strong performances.

Team Stats

Key Matchups

• The Canucks’ offense against Darcy Kuemper. Vancouver will need to generate quality high danger scoring chances, and be persistent to beat the Kings’ goaltender by any means necessary.
• The Canucks’ defensive game against the Kings offensive leaders. Vancouver has to limit the Kings offensive rushes and interfere with the Kings transition game to have any hope of providing the Kings with their first regulation loss at home.

Prediction

This game could be a close one. The Canucks have the offensive firepower to win, but Kuemper’s strong goaltending could keep the Kings in the game, frustrating Vancouver from scoring the goals they need to win.

And if the Kings defensive game gets the better of the Canucks, along with their strong net presence, the Kings could very well win.

In the end, it could be Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen being the hero in making Vancouver’s California 3-game road trip a perfect one.

Sources: nhl.com, statmuse.com