• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Kings set to take on Devils

Oct 13, 2011 - 3:07 PM (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Kings will play their first game of the season in North America tonight, as they visit the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

The Kings were one of four NHL teams that opened their 2011-12 schedules with two games in Europe. Los Angeles notched a win over the New York Rangers in Stockholm, Sweden before dropping the second game on Saturday to Buffalo in Berlin, Germany.

After beating the Rangers in overtime to open the season, the Kings were dealt a 4-2 setback by Buffalo. Luke Adam scored twice early in the second period to help lift the Sabres, who were the only team to win both of their games in Europe this year.

The Kings got both of their goals on Saturday from Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Bernier allowed four goals on 26 shots.

Kings centerman Mike Richards will be facing a familiar opponent tonight, as the former Philadelphia captain has compiled 30 points (7 goals, 23 assists) in 40 career games against the Devils. Richards, who was traded to LA this summer, had a goal and an assist in his Kings debut, but was held without a point in the Buffalo game.

Richards will get a chance to face his former team in LA's next contest, as the Kings are set to visit the Flyers on Saturday.

Dustin Penner could join a line with Richards and Dustin Brown tonight, as he is expected to play his first game of the year after missing the European trip with a lower body injury. Penner is eager to improve after posting just two goals and four assists in 19 games with LA last year, following a trade with Edmonton.

The Kings won't play their first game at home until Tuesday, when they host St. Louis.

New Jersey has split a pair of games so far this season and will complete a three-game homestand tonight. The Devils began the year with a 3-0 shutout loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, but then bounced back with Monday's victory over the Hurricanes.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period to help the Devils down Carolina by a 4-2 score.

Kovalchuk scored on a second-chance shot and Zach Parise got his second goal of the game on an empty-netter later in the period, as the Devils earned their first victory under new head coach Peter DeBoer.

Johan Hedberg got the win, making 24 saves, after Martin Brodeur took the loss in a 3-0 defeat to Philadelphia in Saturday's season-opener.

Mark Fayne also scored for New Jersey to buffer a frenetic burst in the second period when the Hurricanes tied the game twice in the span of four minutes on goals by Alexei Ponikarovsky and Chad LaRose.

"I thought we came out and dictated early in the game how we wanted to play," said DeBoer.

Brodeur is expected to be back between the pipes for New Jersey tonight and Jonathan Quick is expected to get the call for the Kings.

The Kings have won three straight meetings against the Devils and have taken six of the last 10 in the series. LA has also taken two in a row and four out of six in New Jersey.