It was a series that will be long remembered for its intensity and for the ultimate resiliency of the winning team. The Los Angeles Kings rallied from a 3-2 deficit to win their Western Conference semifinal series with the Anaheim Ducks and then went on to hoist hockey’s Holy Grail a month later.
Little has changed since then as the Ducks still lack the defense and goaltending of the Kings, yet are still having another great regular season. The Kings and Ducks will meet in the top Friday matchup. Let’s take a look at the best way to start a weekend, which is Friday night hockey.
Calgary Flames at New York Islanders: Faceoff from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is set for 7 p.m. ET. New York is just one point behind the Montreal Canadiens for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and has won seven out of their last 10. Calgary is in eighth place in the Western Conference standings and has hit a bad skid of three losses in four games.
What to Watch: The Flames will be without top defenseman and captain Mark Giordano, who has an undisclosed issue. The loss comes at the worst time against the NHL’s second highest scoring team.
Who to Watch: Pint-sized rookie left wing Johnny Hockey Gaudreau has 15 goals and 29 assists for the Flames. Islander center John Tavares is a Hart Trophy candidate with 29 goals and 34 assists. Islander defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy continue to impress.
Why to watch: Two of the hardest working and most enjoyable teams to watch in the NHL paying for high stakes. Games from Nassau Coliseum are among the most entertaining to watch with a boisterous crowd, the Islanders offensive style of play, and the great organist Paul Cartier tickling the ivories to rally the crowd.
Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning: Faceoff from the Amalee Arena is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with coverage on NHLN-US. Tampa Bay is just three points behind Montreal for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bolts have lost five out of their last nine games. Chicago has lost five out of their last eight and is stuck in fourth place in the Western Conference.
What to Watch: How will the Blackhawks react to the devastating loss of top scorer Patrick Kane, who is out until Mid-May with a collarbone issue?
Who to Watch: Tampa Bay centers Tyler Johnson and Steven Stamkos. Johnson has 23 goals and 36 assists and Stamkos has 32 goals and 23 assists. Tampa Bay Right wing Nikita Kucherov has 23 goals and 30 assists with six goals in his last 11 games.
Why to Watch: This is a potential Stanley Cup Final between two teams that have been sluggish as of late. The building should be electric with a sellout crowd that will have plenty of support for both teams. Tampa is the top scoring team in the NHL and is a delight to watch.
Los Angeles Kings vs, Anaheim Ducks: Faceoff from the Honda Center is set for 10 p.m. ET. The Kings are the hottest team in the game and have climbed to seventh in the Western Conference standings. Anaheim has lost six out of their last ten to fall six points behind first place Nashville in the Western Conference.
What to Watch: The rivalry. It has taken almost 20 years for the Kings and Ducks to actually start playing for high stakes but the Freeway Faceoff has taken a hold of Southern California. The Ducks lack of defense and goaltending is a stark contrast to the Kings, the NHL’s ultimate shutdown team.
Who to Watch: Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick is on fire with a .966 save percentage in his last five games. Kings center Tyler Toffoli has six goals in this last 10 games. The Ducks tandem of center and captain Ryan Getzlaf and right wing Corry Perry is among the best in the game.
Why to Watch: It is great to see the Freeway Faceoff mean something with its organic growth into high stakes games and sellout crowds. The Kings are playing at a Stanley Cup level. The Ducks offer a stark contrast with their more offensive oriented play. The stands will be packed with a split crowd. This is Appointment TV.
