(SportsNetwork.com) – The Los Angeles Kings will try to rebound from a rare
home loss on Tuesday night as they play host to the Boston Bruins at Staples
Center.
The Kings faced the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday for the first time since
besting the club in seven games in last season’s Western Conference finals,
but were handed a 4-1 setback at home. That dropped Los Angeles to 10-3-1 as
the hosting team.
The Kings are just 2-4-4 on the road.
Jordan Nolan had the lone goal for the Kings, who have lost three of their
past four overall. Jonathan Quick made 21 stops in defeat.
“We put ourselves behind right away,” Kings forward Anze Kopitar said. “It
doesn’t matter who you are playing, catch-up hockey is not easy.”
Los Angeles was without forward Marian Gaborik due to an upper-body injury and
he did not practice on Monday.
The Bruins play the second contest of a four-game road trip tonight, a swing
that got underway with last night’s 3-2 setback in Anaheim.
Brad Marchand and Simon Gagne lit the lamp for the Bruins, who have lost three
of their last four games. Forward David Pastrnak tallied his first career
point with an assist on Marchand’s goal and Gagne registered his 600th NHL
point.
Tuukka Rask gave up all three goals on 28 shots.
“Going into the third, the first 10 minutes were the worst of our game there.
They get the two-goal lead and we never rebounded,” Rask said.
The Bruins have won three of their last four versus the Kings overall, but
have dropped three of four in Los Angeles.