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Kings-Ducks Preview

Apr 5, 2010 - 9:05 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (44-27-7) at Anaheim (38-31-9), 10:00 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Kings have clinched their first playoff berth in seven seasons. Now they would like nothing better than to eliminate their archrivals, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

The Kings can knock the Ducks from contention when the teams wrap up their season series at Honda Center on Tuesday night.

Los Angeles (44-27-7) is in the playoffs for the first time since 2002 thanks to Calgary's 4-1 loss at Chicago on Sunday. The Kings' 95 points match their highest total since that 2001-02 season.

Anaheim (38-31-9), meanwhile, can be eliminated with either a loss, a victory by Colorado on Tuesday or both teams losing after regulation. The Ducks have made the playoffs in all four seasons under coach Randy Carlyle.

The teams opened this home-and-home series with Anaheim winning 2-1 in a shootout at Staples Center on Saturday. Curtis McElhinney made 28 saves and Saku Koivu scored the tying goal with 1:32 left in regulation and added the winning tally in the shootout.

"We desperately needed these points," Koivu said. "We've got to win them all and get help from other teams, but we are going to push until the end."

The Kings have had a tough time getting untracked offensively, scoring two or fewer goals in five of their last six games - the exception being an 8-3 win over Vancouver on Thursday. Leading scorer Anze Kopitar has one point in the five games aside from the two he got against the Canucks.

"We definitely need to have a better start and throw a little emotion and desperation into our game," Kopitar said about Tuesday's rematch.

Jonathan Quick made 32 saves Sunday and is 0-3-1 with a 3.22 goals-against average in his last five starts. He went 3-1 with a 2.77 GAA in his first four starts against Anaheim this season.

"They have a bunch of players that are good around the net, like Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan," Quick said. "They take the puck in and create stuff in front. That's what they did on the tying goal. They just took it to the net, and it worked for them."

The Ducks went 5-0-1 over their last six home games, scoring eight power-play goals in the last four. Anaheim has one of the league's best power plays at 20.5 percent, and has converted 4 of 16 chances against the Kings.

Los Angeles has struggled on the penalty kill of late, allowing 10 goals in the last 25 opportunities.

"We know how to play," coach Terry Murray said. "It's just that the young guys need to buy into it completely for us to be successful in the playoffs."

Anaheim has gotten plenty of recent production from 39-year-old Teemu Selanne, whose five-game point streak ended Saturday. Selanne had nine points in that run, and has eight in his last four home games.