Ducks and Kings face-off for Pacific Division lead
The surging Anaheim Ducks have a chance to make franchise history and take over sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division for the first time this season.
Standing in their way are the co-leading Los Angeles Kings, who are also faring well.
The visiting Ducks can also secure a winning season series over the Kings with a club-record 11th consecutive victory Saturday.
Anaheim (36-19-8) has recorded a pair of 4-2 victories over Los Angeles during a 17-1-1 stretch since a 3-2 home loss to the Kings on Jan. 17. Los Angeles' only defeat in its last six games came at Anaheim on Sunday.
"It's going to be the biggest game of the year, and everybody knows that going in," said Los Angeles forward Dwight King, whose team currently holds the tiebreaker between the clubs. "We know what's on the line, so it's going to be pretty much playoff hockey."
After Thursday's 5-1 rout of Arizona matched the club mark for consecutive wins set in December 2013, the Ducks are obviously just as eager for this matchup.
"It's going to be a good game," Anaheim goalie Frederik Andersen said. "Those are the ones you look forward to."
The Ducks hope to have points leader Ryan Getzlaf available after he was scratched Thursday because of a lower-body injury. Including the playoffs, Getzlaf has four goals and 13 assists in his last 15 games against the Kings (38-21-4).
Teammate Corey Perry recorded a hat trick and had an assist against Los Angeles on Sunday, then followed with two goals and two assists in the next two. Four of Perry's goals came on the power play, where Anaheim is a sizzling 17 for 41 during the winning streak.
"It's been a big strength for us," said defenseman Cam Fowler, who has a point in four straight games. "We've been scoring at key moments, too, which is huge for our confidence. It's going to be big going forward."
Los Angeles has killed 8 of 11 penalties in the last four games, yielding all three on Anaheim's five chances last weekend.
Though Los Angeles has been successful of late, it's totaled 15 goals and gone 3 for 27 on the power play in the last nine. Following a three-day break from game action, the Kings scored more than two goals for the first time during that stretch in Thursday's 3-2 win over Montreal.
"I think everybody's just gripping their sticks a little bit obviously and just focusing on scoring," King said. "Then having a little bit of a break, it's kind of refreshing; it helps too, those three days, and then (Thursday) throwing everything at the net we got rewarded."
It didn't help Tyler Toffoli, who hasn't scored any of his team-leading and career-high 24 goals in the last six contests. He scored in each of the first two against Anaheim.
Though Andersen has won six in a row and stopped 70 of 72 shots in his last three, there's a good chance John Gibson will make a fourth start against the Kings this season. Gibson, 4-1-0 against Los Angeles, posted a 2.34 goals-against average in the first three.
Jonathan Quick has a 1.88 GAA during a 5-2-1 stretch in which the only time he's allowed more than two goals came Sunday at Anaheim. He has a 3.85 GAA in the three meetings this season.
The teams conclude the season series at Los Angeles on April 7.
