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About This Page: This is a discussion on LA Kings Talk within the LetsGoKings.com forums, at Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fan Forum. Useless Note: Did you know that the Coyotes are unbeatable this year?
Los Angeles Kings (28-40-6) 62 pts
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Phoenix Coyotes (36-33-5) 77 pts
Game Time: 7:
Wins against teams such as the Los Angeles Kings have helped the Phoenix Coyotes stay in the postseason race, but losses to teams ahead of them in the standings are keeping them from moving into playoff position.
After three straight defeats to teams in playoff contention in the Western Conference, the Coyotes look to continue their dominance of the Kings when the teams meet Thursday night.
Phoenix (36-33-5) has lost two games to 10th-place Edmonton and one to sixth-place Vancouver over the past week. The Coyotes, in 12th place in the West, are seven points behind three teams tied with 84 in the race for the conference's last three postseason spots.
After two straight road games, Phoenix is beginning a three-game homestand. The Coyotes are 5-7-1 at Jobing.com Arena since the start of February.
Phoenix has been able to stay in the race thanks partly to its outstanding play against the two worst teams in the West.
The Coyotes are 6-0-0 against league-worst Los Angeles (28-40-6) this season, winning each of those games in regulation. They also are 4-0-0 against St. Louis, which is second-worst in the West with 71 points.
Phoenix's dominance at home versus Los Angeles extends to last season, having won six straight meetings with the Kings at Jobing.com Arena since a 4-0 loss on Oct. 19, 2006. The Coyotes are 17-2-1 with two ties at home against the Kings since the start of 2000.
Taking advantage of another matchup with Los Angeles is crucial for a Phoenix team that has eight games remaining. The Coyotes have lost five of their last seven.
A bright spot for Phoenix in Tuesday's loss was a one-goal, two-assist performance from Shane Doan, giving him 70 points through 74 games to surpass his previous career high of 68 points set in 2003-04.
The veteran winger has four goals and nine points in six games against the Kings this season, helping the Coyotes score four times in each of the last five meetings.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, has scored two goals or less in eight of its last nine games. The Kings have converted 9.5 percent (4-for-42) of their power-play opportunities in their last 11 games, going 2-6-3 in that span, and went 0-for-4 in a 2-1 loss to San Jose on Tuesday night.
Los Angeles' most productive players have stalled in recent games.
Anze Kopitar, who leads the team with 69 points (29 goals, 40 assists), has been held off the scoresheet in three straight games. Alexander Frolov hasn't tallied a point in four of his last five games, but is second on the team with 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists).
The Kings are beginning a three-game stretch on the road, where they are 1-6-1 after winning eight of their previous 12.
The Kings have a road record of 13-21-3 and their last 10 games is a record of 2-6-2.
The Coyotes have a home record of 16-18-3, and their last 10 games is a record of 4-6-0.
The Kings continue their road trip on Saturday afternoon against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.
Marc Crawford: “I thought our effort was a decent. I wish you didn’t have to push guys to get the effort out of them. You wish it was a more natural, free flowing effort and that’s what we’re going to need to be if we want to be at San Jose’s level… We got a fairly decent level of work in the third period when we pushed and pushed, but that’s got to be there all the time.”
Dustin Brown: “We had good chances but it just took us a while to get them. Boucher played well tonight especially on the power play, we had a lot of good chances crashing the net but they bounced the other way. They got enough goals to win and he [Boucher] made some big saves for them on the power play.”
Dan Cloutier: “It was in the scouting report that they’re the type of team that shoots the puck on net and crashes for rebounds. I expected them to be in my crease and on top of me. That’s why they’re such a successful team; they do the little things right. After a while I stuck up for myself. I’ve done that throughout my career. I don’t mind it; it doesn’t get me off my game, it just gets me involved.”
Los Angeles Kings
Jack Johnson (Non-displaced fracture-right foot on 3/18/08) IR
Jason LaBarbera (Sports hernia surgery on 2/21/08) IR
Ladislav Nagy (Sore neck on 1/19/08) IR
Scott Thornton (Upper body injury on (3/4/08) day-to-day
Bottom of the Cellar Standings:
26 Blues 71 points, 9 games remaining
27 Islanders 71 points, 8 games remaining
28 Thrashers 70 points, 6 games remaining
29 Lightning 66 points, 9 games remaining 30 Kings 62 points, 8 games remaining
Key/Division Games Tonight:
Canadiens @ Bruins 4:00 PM PST | 7:00 PM EST Blues @ Senators 4:30 PM PST | 7:30 PM EST
Lightning @ Penguins 4:30 PM PST | 7:30 PM EST
Hurricanes @ Panthers 4:30 PM PST | 7:30 PM EST Red Wings @ Predators 5:00 PM PST | 8:00 PM EST Avalanche @ Flames 6:00 PM PST | 9:00 PM EST Canucks @ Oilers 6:00 PM PST | 9:00 PM EST
***GDT - Los Angeles Kings @ Phoenix Coyotes - 3/20/08*** 
Maverick
