The Los Angeles Kings snapped a five-game losing streak with a road win Thursday over the Columbus Blue Jackets, and on Saturday night look for their second straight victory, facing the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Interim coach John Stevens is 1-1 so far with the Kings.
"It's a great feeling when you break a losing streak," center Anze Kopitar told Brian Hunter of NHL.com. "It wasn't pretty but the effort was definitely there. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how. We got the two points."
The Kings have won their last three trips to Detroit, dating back to the 2009-2010 season. But the Red Wings have been tough at Joe Louis Arena this season, with an NHL-best 12-2-1 record at home. The Red Wings have won nine straight home games. This is the second of four meetings between the Kings and Red Wings this season. Detroit won 4-1 at Staples Center on November 19.
To win, the Kings will need to score, something they haven't done of late. The Kings have scored two goals or less in each of their last 10 games, and are averaging a league-worst 2.16 goals per contest. Goaltender Jonathan Quick has a .923 save percentage in his last nine games, not far removed from his .930 mark on the season, yet is just 3-5-1 in those games.
Saturday's 4 p.m. game will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more Kings hockey news and information, be sure to read Jewels From The Crown.