NHL: Kings Meet Canucks In Presidents’ Trophy Hunt

They’ve been confirmed as the Northwest Division champions once again (thanks to Calgary’s loss in Dallas on Saturday), and they will definitely be one of the top three seeds in the Western Conference. Now the Vancouver Canucks might even launch themselves back into the Presidents’ Trophy race.

Currently the Canucks stand four points behind the St. Louis Blues for the lead in the West, but with a game in hand. They’ve just come back from a road trip which started with a 2-0 shutout loss in Minnesota, but Vancouver managed to pick up five of a possible eight points in the four-game set. As a result, they appear to have regained some of the confidence that may have escaped them in their previous seven games to start the month of March, where they went 3-4 and allowed five goals against in three of those four losses.

Their game in hand on the Blues will be Monday’s matchup against a Los Angeles Kings team desperate to keep pace in the playoff race. They’re scrapping with the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche for three post-season spots; that means two of those teams won’t make it (make it three if the Flames can somehow put together a sudden surge).

The Kings will need to put in an extra effort in Vancouver, as the Canucks have a 5-0-2 record against L.A. at Rogers Arena. It’s very likely the visitors will get a break by not having to face Kings-killer Daniel Sedin, who has a concussion and not expected to play. Daniel had notched 17 points in 11 previous games versus L.A., including the playoffs.

The Kings had won six in a row until Saturday, when they were derailed by the Boston Bruins 4-2 at the Staples Center. L.A. did get 42 shots on Tim Thomas, though, so it wasn’t for lack of effort that they lost. Jonathan Quick turned in a comparatively mediocre effort, stopping only 22 of 25 shots, but until then Quick had been the backbone of the Kings’ winning run.

The NHL betting line has tabbed the Canucks to win. If the Kings want to get the victory in Vancouver, two of L.A.’s most high-profile players will need to lace up their scoring skates: Mike Richards, who has had two goals and two assists in the past five games; and Jeff Carter, with only one goal and one assist in the same time period. They’ll need to step it up for their team to keep its playoff hopes alive.