By Andrew Phillip Chernoff CanucksBanter

March 18, 2023

Vancouver Canucks (29-33-5), 6th in the Pacific Division) vs Los Angeles Kings (40-20-9), 2nd in the Pacific Division).

Los Angeles, California; Saturday, 7 p.m. PDT

Vancouver continues a three game road trip in Los Angeles tonight, concluding tomorrow against the Anaheim Ducks.

Canucks Last Game

Canucks had their five-game winning streak snapped against the Arizona Coyotes in the first game of the road trip on Thursday night, 3-2.

Elias Pettersson had a goal and had an assist. Anthony Beauvillier had two assists. Andrei Kuzmenko continued his fine play with a goal. Thatcher Demko stopped 24 out of 27 shots faced.

At-A-Glance

Kings

• Kings are 4-0-1 in their last 5-games; 8-1-1 in the last 10-games.
• Los Angeles is 22-9-3 at home, with a 2-game win streak.
• The Kings have given up 222 goals while scoring 231 for a +9 scoring differential.
• LA is 27-6-3 when they score first.

Canucks

• Canucks are 4-1-0 in their last 5-games; 7-3-0 in last 10-games.
• They are 4-8-2 in their last 14-road games in 2023.
• Vancouver has a 13-16-4 record in road games, with a 1-game losing streak.
• The Canucks sport a 25-6-2 record in games they score 4+ goals.
• Vancouver is 4-27-3 when they score 3-goals or less.
• They are 16-11-3 when they score first.
• The Canucks have given up 253 goals while scoring 231 for a -22 scoring differential.

Canucks Vs Kings Comparisons

Streaking Canucks

• Elias Pettersson has 19 points (6-15-21) in his last 13 games.
• Quinn Hughes has 16 points (0-16-16) in his last 17 games.
• Andrei Kuzmenko has 17 points (12-5-17) in his last 14 games.
• J.T. Miller has 14 points (7-7-14) in his last 12 games.
• Anthony Beauvillier has 16 points (7-9-16) in his last 16 games.
• Brock Boeser has seven points (1-6-7) in his last seven games.

Thatcher Demko Playing Like An All-Star

Since his return from injury, Demko has 5 wins in 7 games, a .923 SV% (save percentage), and a GAA (goals against average) of 2.30.

Who Wins?

Both teams have been hot recently. The Los Angeles Kings have won seven of their last eight games. Vancouver has won five of their last six games. Both teams have been good on offense this season. Vancouver ranks 11th and LA ranks 10th in goals per game. Defense and goaltending are two advantages for the Kings. LA ranks 17th in goals against per game and fifth in shots against per game. The Canucks rank 31st in goals against per game and 14th in shots against per game. Los Angeles has been good playing at home. They have a 22-9-3 home record on the year. Playing at home, Los Angeles will win this matchup by two or more goals.

Source: statsalt.com