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The Los Angeles Kings host the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
The Senators moved out of last place in the Eastern Conference with their victory Wednesday. Their 37 points are one better than the Philadelphia Flyers, while their minus-35 goal differential is also second worst in the entire NHL to the Flyers.
The Kings are struggling, sitting at the bottom in the Western Conference with 37 points, one worse that the St. Louis Blues. Los Angeles' minus-31 goal differential ranks 28th in the 31-team league.
The LA Kings enter Wednesday game coming off a 3-1 defeat Monday at San Jose. Los Angeles also endured a humbling 6-2 defeat at home last week against the Tampa Bay Lightning, far and away the NHL's top team.
The Kings have scored more than two goals in regulation just once in their past seven games.
"We can't rely on our goalies to give up one or two goals every game and expect to win hockey games," All-Star defenseman Drew Doughty said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "That's the bottom line. It's a '3-2' league. We need two or three goals every night to win."
Center Jean-Gabriel Pageau returned to the Senators on Sunday after missing the entire season to that point because of an Achilles injury sustained in training camp. He played 13 minutes Sunday, and even scored a goal, then increased his workload to 18 minutes Wednesday.
Ottawa goaltender Anders Nilsson, acquired in a Jan. 2 trade with the Vancouver Canucks, earned his first victory with his new team Wednesday when he made 32 saves.
Senators center Matt Duchene will not play Thursday as he remains in Ottawa following the birth of his first child on Wednesday. The Senators have three players who are day-to-day due to injuries: defenseman Thomas Chabot (upper body), goaltender Craig Anderson (concussion) and defenseman Justin Falk (concussion).
The Kings have three payers on the injured list: right winger Jonny Brodzinski (shoulder), defenseman Alec Martinez (upper body) and center Trevor Lewis (foot).
