The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks will facie off for the third time in their four-game series on Friday. These teams were able to split the first two games with the Kings winning the opening game 4-1 and the Ducks taking the next contest 3-2
Los Angeles has lost three of their lost four and is looking to bounce back after a tough loss on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Ducks were on a five-game losing streak before finally beating the Kings. Which of these teams is the best option for your NHL picks?
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings haven’t had the season that they have hoped. They are 18-23-6, placing them in seventh place in the West Division. The playoffs and Stanley Cup are not on the table.
Their struggles haven’t been because of Anze Kopitar. He leads the team with 46 points and 35 assists to go along with his 11 goals.
Although Kopitar has been great, Dustin Brown currently leads the team in goals with 17.
However, their goaltending hasn’t helped. Calvin Petersen has gotten the most starts in net, with an 8-14-4 record and a .916 save percentage. But when he needs a break, the team turns to Jonathan Quick, with a record of 9-9-2 backing a .893 save percentage.
Quick is clearly nearing the end of the line.
Los Angeles isn’t going to be competing in the postseason this year, so the intensity may not be what it should be. The Kings will need to come out with a better offensive game plan to attempt to relieve pressure on their goaltenders. If they are able to accomplish that, they will put themselves in a good position to win.
Kings vs Ducks Game Information
Date: Friday, April 30, 2021 – 10 p.m. ET
Location: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
NHL Odds: Kings -125
Kings vs Ducks Live Stream: NHL.TV
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Anaheim Ducks
The offense hasn’t been a strong suit of the Anaheim Ducks.
The team averages only 2.18 goals per game on the year, which ranks them 31st in the NHL in that category. If you still need more information on their underperforming offense, the points leader on their team only has 28.
That is currently held by Max Comtois as he has 13 goals and 15 assists in order to get him to that top spot on the roster. Rickard Rakell has added on 26 points of his own, but it just hasn’t been enough to make the team formidable on that end of the ice.
Making matters worse, their goaltending hasn’t been stellar. John Gibson is 9-17-6 behind a .902 save percentage but has posted three shutouts.
However, he has been far better than their backup Ryan Miller. He is 3-8-1 with a .882 save percentage and has allowed 3.60 goals per game. He also recently announced plans to retire at the end of the season.
Anaheim isn’t going to be competing this season either but would like to end the year on a high note. In order to do that, their goaltending is going to have to step up.
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