:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/6917191/159743872.0.jpg)
ESPN has a preview of the Colorado Avalanche vs the LA Kings.
Free-agent acquisition John Mitchell and Cody McLeod scored Saturday, but the Avalanche were whistled for seven penalties and allowed Minnesota to score twice on the power play in a 4-2 road loss. The Wild scored three times while outshooting Colorado 18-5 in the second period.
"We've got to stay out of the box," defenseman Erik Johnson said. "A couple of the penalties were penalties we shouldn't have taken. We have to do a better job of eliminating guys in front of the net."
Veteran Paul Stastny, who has two goals and two assists in the last two games versus Los Angeles, was held to one shot Saturday.
The Avs will have a hometown referee at the game.
When the Colorado Avalanche play their home opener on Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center, one of the men in the black and white uniforms refereeing the game will be a man who grew up playing hockey in Colorado.
John Grandt was five years old when he started playing hockey in Westminster.
He became a referee when he went to college.
Kopitar will play tonight.
Anze Kopitar said Monday he would play in the Kings' game tonight against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.
He sat out Saturday's season-opening loss to the Chicago Blackhawks because of a sprained right knee suffered while playing in Sweden during the lockout.
After participating in the pregame Stanley Cup banner and ring ceremony on the ice Saturday, Kopitar retreated to the dressing room and peeled off his uniform. He watched on TV from the quiet of the room, and he didn't like what he saw from the offensively challenged Kings.
OKC Barons have signed ex-Avalanche Brett Clark.
The Oklahoma City Barons have been in desperate need of experience on the blue line this season. Today they addressed the problem in a big way, announcing the signing of NHL-tested veteran Brett Clark to an AHL contract, as tipped yesterday on Neal Livingston’s excellent Barons’ blog Tend the Farm.