Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Kings (20-7-4, 44 points) and Toronto Maple Leafs (16-12-3, 35 points) faceoff in the first of two meetings this season live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The game can be live streamed here. Los Angeles fans can hear all the action on KTLK 1150 while Toronto fans can do the same on TSN 1050.
Los Angeles is 11-1-4 in its last 16 games and has allowed two goals or less in each of those contests while Toronto will be without its captain as its goaltender goes up against his former team.
Jonathan Bernier was traded from the Kings to the Leafs last year in a deal that brought Ben Scrivens over to Los Angeles, and will play against the Kings for the first time.
"Probably a lot of excitement, maybe nervous a little bit," Bernier told the Maple Leafs website Tuesday about what it felt like to be facing his old team. "And after the first shot, probably it will go away. But it definitely will be a first for me, to get traded and play against my old team. It's going to be fun."
Bernier is 9-8-2 this season with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage for the Leafs. While Scrivens used to play for Toronto and has filled in nicely for the Kings with Jonathan Quick injured, it was rookie goaltender Martin Jones who came off the ice first at practice and he will likely get the start. Jones is 3-0-0 with a 0.65 GAA and a .973 save percentage.
The Leafs will be without captain Dion Phaneuf as he is suspended for two games after a boarding penalty he took Sunday night.
"Again, it's another challenge," coach Randy Carlyle said per NHL.com. "But the challenges are bountiful as we go forward into the season."
The Kings have killed off 57 of the last 61 penalties that the team has taken.
"It's certainly an important part of playing in the NHL, special teams," forward Justin Williams told Fox Sports West. "When you go through a stretch like we've gone through ... it wears on you a little bit. ... Hopefully we can continue [on the power play] tomorrow."
Williams is third on the team with 22 points off of 11 goals and 11 assists while Mike Richards is second on the team by notching six tallies and 19 helpers for 25 points and Anze Kopitar leads the Kngs with 27 points off of nine goals and 18 assists.
Phil Kessel paces the Maple Leafs with 29 points off of 16 goals and 13 assists while James van Riemsdyk has lit the lamp 13 times and added 12 helpers for 25 points and Nazem Kadri has found the twine nine times and added 11 assists for 20 points.
The Kings look to keep up their stellar defense while Toronto will try to carry on without their captain when the puck drops at the Air Canada Centre tonight in Toronto.
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