Game Preview: Columbus Continues Homestand As Kopitar, Kempe Lead Kings Into Nationwide Arena

LOS ANGELES KINGS

29–19–7 (65 points; .591%) ROSTER / SCHEDULE

7:00 P.M. – FRIDAY, MARCH 4TH NATIONWIDE ARENA COLUMBUS, OH

Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Market)

On the eve of Rick Nash's jersey going into the rafters, the Columbus Blue Jackets take the ice for the first half of a back-to-back when they face Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, and the Los Angeles Kings.

While Saturday will be a special night for a multitude of reasons, Friday's game gives the Blue Jackets the opportunity to again make it a single-digit point deficit for a potential wildcard spot in the playoffs. For a team who has made it clear from the onset that they're retooling and not rebuilding, a winning record entering the final two months of the season validates just how good this Columbus team could be in the not-too-distant future.

After a pair of ugly losses (one earned, the other not so much), the Blue Jackets rediscovered their winning ways Tuesday, defeating the New Jersey Devils 4-3. The Kings are a superior opponent to the Devils, but the Blue Jackets will have what's expected to be a large home crowd behind them as the club prepares for Nash's ceremony Saturday. The motivation should be palpable. 

RE: LOS ANGELES

After winning five straight, the Kings took a 7-0 beating at home against the Boston Bruins and made it two straight L's Wednesday in Dallas. 

While Kopitar has — by a wide margin — the assists (35) and points (50) lead, it's Kempe who leads the team with 25 goals, nine more than any other King. The duo ranks 1-2 in points, though winger Viktor Arvidsson's 36 points on the season sits just one behind Kempe for second on the team.

Los Angeles is a puck-possession team that isn't afraid to fire the biscuit from anywhere on the ice. They're third in the league in both shots per game (35.4), and 5-on-5 Corsi (54.5%). Despite the volume of shots, the Kings are just 19th in goals for per game and 30th in the league in shooting percentage at 8.2%. The quantity over quality approach from the Kings has been met with mixed results: they're in second in the Pacific Division, which sounds great — but they're also just two points away from missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs altogether, which does not sound great. Friday is a big game for the Kings, who are looking to shake the schneid and stay near the top of their division. 

STORYLINES

• REDISCOVER THE PK
  It's killed three out of four in each of the last three games, but the Columbus penalty kill allowing goals in three consecutive games is the second longest streak of the year. If they allow a goal Friday on the Los Angeles man-advantage, they'll tie their longest stretch of games going all the way back tot he 2017-18 postseason. The Kings are 27th on the powerplay, the lowest-ranked such unit Columbus has played since seeing 31st-ranked Montreal in February.
   
• IT'S BEEN A WHILE
  This will be the first meeting between the two teams in literal years. Columbus defeated the Kings 4-2 in Los Angeles in January of 2020, and a few weeks before that, picked up an overtime win in December of 2019 at Nationwide Arena.

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