Los Angeles Kings takes on the feeble Calgary Flames – NHL Preview
Separated by seven points, the Los Angeles Kings and the Calgary Flames will face-off at the STAPLES Center on Thursday, January 19, 2012.
The Kings are ranked at the seventh spot in the National Hockey League (NHL) Western Conference with 55 points after 47 games.
They defeated the Vancouver Canucks (3-2) on Tuesday after a shootout. The Kings were dominant earlier, but could not stop a comeback.
They took the lead twice, but each time the opponents neutralised it. After the goalless extra period, the game went to the shootout where the Kings scored twice to gain the victory.
Kings’ right winger, Justin Williams, was satisfied after the game and said that the team started the game well, which eventually became the cause of the win.
"We certainly had the start we wanted," he said. "We got the first goal, we played with the lead and I thought we were due in the shootout, so we finally got one there."
The Kings only need to make more plays and improve their attack if they need more victories. They have a good chance to build on the winning momentum as the Flames are relatively weaker side.
Out of their last 10 games, the Flames have only managed to win three games. They lost their last game against San Jose Sharks in a shootout.
They scored in the third period to take the game to extra time, which was forced to the shootout after both the teams had failed to score.
However, the Sharks scored two goals in the overtime while the Flames strived to get even one. Nevertheless, Flames’ coach, Brent Stutter, seemed satisfied with his team’s performance.
"It was a complete game on our part," he said after the defeat. "We had opportunities, and once it gets to overtime anything can happen. We wanted to play a game where we were on our toes and the guys did a good job of that."
The Flames are placed at 12th spot with 48 points after playing 47 games. In order to reach the playoffs, they have to ensure that they win most of their next games.
However, considering their performance and their inability to maintain the lead, the task seems daunting.
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