Geoff JohnsonWithout their superstar Daniel Sedin who didn’t even travel to Los Angeles, a desperate Vancouver Canucks team will try to save their season when they take the Kings at STAPLES Center, this Sunday night at 10:30 PM ET.
“When you talk about the Kings’ history, it’s one of those histories (in which) playoffs seem to be few and far between,” King’s right wing Dustin Brown said. “It’s good to be a part of a group that has the opportunity to make history. That’s where it comes back to hitting the reset button. I know it was probably 40 years ago, but a Kings team that was up 2-0 lost 4-3. You just check all that stuff at the door and get ready to play.”
With two 4-2 victories in Vancouver, Los Angeles has taken a 2-0 lead in a series; it’s barely the third time in history this has happened. However, they enter an arena where they don’t feel as comfortable and many have called it a “home field disadvantage”.
“We haven’t played well on home ice in the playoffs, and that’s got to change,” Jarret Stoll said. “It’s not about where we finished the season or where they finished. There are no eighth seeds or No. 1 seeds right now. Once that Game 1 starts, it’s 0-0 and anybody can beat anybody. It can happen any year, any series.”
For the Canucks avoiding the power plays against them will be crucial. “The power play, it’s the difference in the series,” Darryl Sutter said. “Goaltending, special teams, if you want to upset a top, top team, that’s what it comes down to.”
The betting trends mention Vancouver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing the Kings, but 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles.
