Canucks vs Kings Game Day Preview VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks (19-15-4) will try to match their season high for consecutive victories when they play host to the Los Angeles Kings (16-20-4) tonight at Rogers Arena. The Canucks won four in a row from October 9-17 – a streak that started with an 8-2 win over the Kings. It was Vancouver’s first win of the season and came in the team’s home opener.

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks (19-15-4) will try to match their season high for consecutive victories when they play host to the Los Angeles Kings (16-20-4) tonight at Rogers Arena. The Canucks won four in a row from October 9-17 – a streak that started with an 8-2 win over the Kings. It was Vancouver’s first win of the season and came in the team’s home opener.

The Canucks return to action after a brief holiday break. They rattled off wins over Vegas and Pittsburgh before beating Edmonton 4-2 last Monday night. Tyler Motte opened the scoring with his first goal of the season while Bo Horvat, Quinn Hughes and Loui Eriksson added third period goals for the Canucks who trailed 2-1 heading into the final period. Horvat’s goal was his first of the season on home ice.

Hughes’ goal was the first game winner of his NHL career and came on the power play which is 6 for 18 (33.3%) over the last five games. The Canucks continue to lead the NHL with 37 goals as a team this season.

Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves in his eighth straight start and he’ll get the call again tonight. He’s won three straight and is 4-4 over that eight game stretch with a 2.57 GAA, a 92.4% save percentage and a 43-save shutout. Markstrom’s next victory will be the 100th of his NHL career.

The Canucks line-up was bolstered by the return of veteran blueliner Alex Edler who missed 10 games with an upper body injury. To make room for Edler, Jordie Benn was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Oscar Fantenberg, who broke into the NHL with the Kings, will appear in his 100th NHL game tonight.

Tanner Pearson had a couple of assists on Monday. Over the last 20 games, Pearson has a share of the Canucks team lead in scoring along with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser. Pettersson has 11+7=18, Pearson has 7+11=18 while Boeser has 5+13=18. In 57 games since being acquired by the Canucks from Pittsburgh at last season’s trade deadline, Pearson has 18+18=36 which would be a 52-point pace over 82 games.

After their win over the Oilers, the Canucks are 6-2 in their last eight games on home ice.

Los Angeles arrives in town following a 3-2 overtime victory in San Jose last night. Veteran Jeff Carter capped the comeback from a 2-0 third period deficit with the winner at 1:31 of OT. Carter also assisted on both of Martin Frk’s goals as the Czech forward scored his first two goals of the season in his first game with the Kings after being recalled from their AHL affiliate in Ontario, CA earlier in the day. It was the first career multi-goal game for Frk who made previous NHL stops in Carolina and Detroit. LA outshot San Jose 15-4 in the third period, 2-1 in overtime and 38-24 on the night. Jack Campbell made 22 saves in the Kings net.

The win snapped a three game losing skid for LA (0-2-1) and was the first time in 20 tries this season the Kings won when trailing after 40 minutes (1-18-1). It was also just the team’s sixth road win of the season although four of them have come in December and LA is 4-1-2 in its last seven away from home.

Despite being held off the scoresheet last night in the Bay Area, captain Anze Kopitar leads the Kings in all offensive categories. He has 14 goals and 33 points and shares the team lead in assists with Drew Doughty with 19. Along with Kopitar, Jeff Carter is the only other King in double-digits in goals this season with a dozen. Half of Carter’s goals this season – including last night’s – have been game winners giving him a share of the league-lead in that category.

Special teams have been an issue for LA all season. The Kings are 30th in the NHL on the power play at 12.9% and 29th on the penalty kill at 73.5%.

Former Canuck Ben Hutton has appeared in all 40 games for the Kings in his first season in LA. He has 1+5=6 and has averaged 18:01 in ice time.

The Canucks are 2-0 against Los Angeles this season going five for eight (62.5%) on the power play in the process. They scored four PPG in a 5-3 win at Staples Center on October 30th. Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, JT Miller and Quinn Hughes each have five points against LA this season. Boeser had a hattrick the last time these teams met.

POSSIBLE CANUCKS LINE-UP

Miller-Pettersson-Boeser

Pearson-Horvat-Eriksson

Roussel-Gaudette-Virtanen

Schaller-Beagle-Motte

Hughes-Tanev

Edler-Stecher

Fantenberg-Myers

Markstrom

POSSIBLE KINGS LINE-UP

Iafallo-Kopitar-Toffoli

Kempe-Lizotte-Wagner

Prokhorkin-Carter-Frk

Clifford-Amadio-Luff

Ryan-Doughty

Hutton-Roy

MacDermid-Walker

Quick