Public Likes Kings
Denver, CO – The Los Angeles Kings have lost four straight at home to the Avalanche. Since 2005-06, though, they have found more success in this matchup in Colorado.
On Tuesday night, Los Angeles goes for its fifth win in its last seven games in Colorado, while the Avalanche look for their fourth straight victory at the Pepsi Center.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sportsbook.com have made the Avalanche –145 money line favorites for Tuesday’s game against the Kings. Current NHL Public Betting Information shows that 67% of more than 95 bets for this game have been placed on the Avalanche -145.
The Kings (11-11-4), who lost at home to Colorado on Oct. 20 and Nov. 22, are coming off a 3-0 victory over Columbus on Saturday that snapped a three-game losing streak.
Jason LaBarbera stopped 23 shots for his fourth career shutout.
"I didn’t play for a while, so maybe I got a different point of view, I guess,” said LaBarbera, who has started just three games since an 18-save outing against Calgary on Nov. 1. "The thing was, I didn’t feel like I was playing that bad before. I just wasn’t getting the results.”
LaBarbera, who allowed four goals on 14 shots in the Kings’ 4-3 loss to Colorado on Oct. 20, is 0-4-0 with a 3.89 GAA in his career against the Avalanche.
Erik Ersberg, who has split 26 starts with LaBarbera this season, is 1-2-0 with a 4.25 GAA since stopping 26 of 29 shots in Los Angeles’ 4-3 shootout loss to Colorado on Nov. 22.
Anze Kopitar had an empty-net goal against the Blue Jackets while he and Kyle Quincey both notched their team-leading 14th assists of the season on Kyle Calder’s second-period goal.
Kopitar, who has just one assist in two meetings with the Avalanche this season, has two goals and three assists in four career games in Colorado.
Colorado enters Tuesday’s matchup following a 5-4 shootout win over Vancouver on Sunday.
Milan Hejduk had a goal and two assists as the Avalanche (13-13-1) rebounded from back-to-back losses with their third consecutive home win.
"There is not really a good explanation for it; I don’t have one,” Hejduk said of his 34 goals in 57 career games versus the Canucks. "I know the stats are good for me against this team, but we do play them a lot, being in the same division, so obviously I would score more goals against them than the others.”
Hejduk has been limited to 14 goals in 35 career games against Los Angeles, but has 28 assists versus the Kings, including one this season – his most against any opponent.
Paul Stastny, who leads Colorado with 18 assists and 24 points this season, notched his first three-assist game of 2008-09 against Vancouver. He has a goal and three assists in two wins against Los Angeles this season.
Peter Budaj, who stopped 34 shots against the Canucks, won the first two meetings this season against the Kings with 26 and 27 saves, respectively. He is 5-1-1 with a 2.55 GAA in eight career games versus Los Angeles.
The Avs and Kings split two meetings in Colorado last season.
Did you like this article? Subscribe to our Hockey news feed for the fastest updates delivered right to you – Click here to Subscribe
Posted: 12/8/08 12:53 AM ET
