The Anaheim Ducks (9-9-3) will host the Los Angeles Kings (12-8-3) in a Black Friday matinee game at Honda Center.
Takeaways from the Ducks’ 4-1 Loss to the Kings
The Ducks enter play having earned points in five of their last six games, including their most recent 5-2 road win over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.
The Kings are fresh off a bounce-back 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday after suffering perhaps their worst loss of the season to the San Jose Sharks on Monday by a score of 7-2.
This game will be the second of four “Freeway Faceoff” matchups this season. The Kings handily won the first battle between the Southern California rivals on Oct. 20 by a score of 4-1.
By the Numbers
Ducks’ leading scorer, Troy Terry, hasn’t fared well against the Kings in his career. Though he’s totaled 15 points in 21 games this season and three points in his last two games, he has only produced eight points in 23 career games against Los Angeles and is shooting at a 7.7% rate.
A few Ducks forwards enter play, having produced well of late. Trevor Zegras has six points in his last four games, while Cutter Gauthier has four in his last five. Gauthier was held off the scoresheet in his first career matchup against the Kings, while Zegras has nine points in 15 games against Los Angeles.
Alex Killorn has seven points in his last seven games but has only managed 8 points in 22 career games against the Kings.
Olen Zellweger has six points in his last six games but has only managed one assist in three career games against Los Angeles.
History’s leading scorer against the Anaheim Ducks franchise, Anze Kopitar, has been scorching hot to start the season from a production standpoint. He has 27 points in the team’s first 23 games. He’s totaled 88 points in 90 career games against the Ducks, including an assist in the first game between Anaheim and Los Angeles this season.
Adrian Kempe had a goal in the Kings’ 4-1 win on Oct. 20 and has 23 points in 23 games this season. He’s scored nine points in his last six games and has 30 points in 34 career games against the Ducks. He’s riding a ten-game point streak against Anaheim, with eight goals and ten assists in that span.
Kevin Fiala is a noted Duck-killer in his career, having produced 25 points in 26 games against Anaheim, including a goal in the teams’ first matchup. However, he comes into today’s game with just two points in his last nine games.
Lukas Dostal has a 1-3-0 career record against the Kings despite a .929 SV%. He stopped 32 of 34 shots on Oct. 20 against Los Angeles.
John Gibson is undefeated in regulation this season with a 4-0-1 record and a .925 SV%. He has a 14-12-1 record against the Kings in his career with a .915 SV% and two shutouts.
Sounds like tomorrow could be the day for goaltender Erik Portillo. Expecting him to make his NHL debut in Anaheim against the Ducks.
— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) November 28, 2024
Rookie goaltender Erik Portillo is set to make his NHL debut this afternoon against the Ducks. He has a 28-13-3 record over the past two seasons in the AHL with the Ontario Reign with a .917 SV% and two shutouts. He has a 5-3-0 record in the AHL playoffs with a .916 SV% and another shutout.
Portillo was drafted in the third round (67th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The Ducks have not allowed a power play goal in their last five games, going 13 for 13. Their penalty kill ranks 27th in the NHL with a 74.1% success rate.
The Ducks have a 75-61-28 record in their history against the Kings.
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