The Pacific Division is up for grabs Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, and you'll forgive the Kings for wondering how that happened.
The Anaheim Ducks will roll into the Staples Center on one hell of a streak, having won 10 in a row. They're flying, going 17-1-1 in their last 19, and posting a 20-4-2 mark since 2016 began.
The two teams have met three times since Jan. 17, with the Ducks losing the first meeting 3-2, but winning the next two games 4-2. Both have 80 points in 63 games, and both excel defensively.
"(Saturday's) a big game, one of the biggest games of the year," said Kings defenseman Brayden McNabb.
It should live up to the hype. Here's how the clubs match up, and there isn't much difference between them:
| Ducks | Statistic | Kings |
|---|---|---|
| 2.51 (22nd) | Goals Per Game | 2.63 (17th) |
| 2.29 (2nd) | Goals Against | 2.27 (1st) |
| 22.9% (3rd) | Power Play | 21.5% (9th) |
| 86.7% (2nd) | Penalty Kill | 81.4% (13th) |
| 53% (3rd) | Corsi For % | 56.3% (1st) |
| 91 (29th) | Goals For 5on5 | 98 (24th) |
| 99 (9th) | Goals Against 5on5 | 90 (1st) |
| 98.6 (29th) | PDO | 99.4 (22nd) |
Individually, the clubs line up similarly as well:
| Ducks | Statistic | Kings |
|---|---|---|
| Corey Perry (28) | Goals | Tyler Toffoli (24) |
| Ryan Getzlaf (42) | Assists | Anze Kopitar (35) |
| Getzlaf (51) | Points | Kopitar (54) |
| Frederik Andersen (17) | Wins | Jonathan Quick (32) |
| John Gibson (2.09) | GAA | Quick (2.18) |
| Andersen (.922) | SV% | Quick (.920) |
| Gibson (4) | Shutouts | Quick (3) |
Both teams have five players with over 35 points. Yeah, this game's going to be good.
Should the Ducks win, they'll set a new franchise record for wins in a row with 11. And you know, to a man, they'd love to set the record against the Kings.
"It's going to be the biggest game of the year, and everybody knows that going in ," said Kings winger Dwight King. "We know what's on the line, so it's going to be pretty much playoff hockey."
