Willie Mitchell and Alexei Ponikarovsky out for at least a month
The Los Angeles Kings’ Willie Mitchell and Alexei Ponikarovsky will both be out for at least a month after sustaining injuries in their club’s game against the Nashville Predators on 6 November.
Mitchell will be out of the line-up for four-to-six weeks after suffering a broken wrist. Meanwhile, Ponikarovsky will miss the next four weeks with a broken finger. The injuries take a major bite out of the Kings' veteran depth, both up front and on the
back end.
Mitchell has been a fantastic addition to the Kings since being signed as a free agent in the off-season. The 33-year-old veteran has played a major role on the Los Angeles blue line, playing on the first unit with the youngster Drew Doughty. The British
Columbia native has helped to bring a great deal of stability to the Kings’ back end and has served as the team’s main penalty killing defender.
Ponikarovsky has adopted a role on the Kings' checking line and although he has not been a force on the score sheet, he has done a tremendous job of shutting down the opponent’s top line, along with Wayne Simmonds and Michael Handzus. Ponikarovsky was signed
in the off-season after spending the 2009-10 season split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Kings’ Kyle Clifford is expected to move up to the third line to replace Ponikarovsky, while highly touted prospect Brayden Schenn is also expected to get more time. Meanwhile, on the back end, Los Angeles will expect Jack Johnson to fill Mitchell’s
hole on the first unit.
The Kings will hope to maintain their strong play, which currently has them second in the Western Conference with a 10-3-0 record.
So far this season, Ponikarovsky has managed two goals and two assists, while Mitchell has tallied one goal and four assists.
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