GAME DAY: at Los Angeles
Jackets make final stop in L.A. 10:30 p.m. tonight
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Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Los Angeles Kings 
WATCH: FOX Sports Ohio (HD) | LISTEN: 97.1 The Fan & BlueJackets.com
GAME NOTES
GAME DAY ON THE ROAD presented by:
 Dorsett |
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| Much like last night’s opponent in San Jose, the Los Angeles Kings are in a battle for playoff position in the Western Conference and have 32 games remaining to solidify their seeding and potentially grab a hold of the Pacific Division lead down the stretch.
Though they have mightily struggled to score goals throughout the season, the Kings find themselves in the thick of the race yet again. Coupled with the team’s resurgent play under new head coach Darryl Sutter, the Kings have received a boost with the return of Mike Richards a few weeks ago. He’s the team’s second-leading goal-scorer and one of their most dangerous threats at both ends of the rink – and brings a presence that few players on the Los Angeles roster can replicate. Los Angeles has picked up points in eight of its past 10 games (5-2-3) but hasn’t played since January 23, so the long layoff will test the Kings as they come out of the gate tonight at STAPLES Center. The Sharks made it a point to ensure a good start last night, and two goals in the first 10 minutes of the game helped them on the way to a win. For the Blue Jackets, they will be looking to make amends for last night’s game which did not sit well with interim coach Todd Richards. He referred to at least three of the six goals surrendered as “self-inflicted goals” and said the Blue Jackets were far too careless with the puck, allowing the Sharks to get in on the forecheck and cause havoc in the Columbus end of the ice. Goaltending has been a strength of the Kings, and on many nights this season, their play between the pipes has made up for inconsistency putting the puck in the net. Jonathan Quick recently returned from a well-deserved All-Star Game appearance and is No. 1 in the NHL with six shutouts on the season, posting a 1.93 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage.
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