Game 52 Preview: Avs @ Kings

Nothing went right for the Avalanche Tuesday. With Semyon Varlamov being drawn into civil court in Denver and three players coming down with the flu, the Avs were shorthanded early and often. With eight penalties including two ten-minute misconducts late in the game, the Avalanche surrendered three power play goals on their way to a 6-3 loss to the Sharks. The Avs will get no time to recover, however, as they head south to LA to face-off against a rested Kings team.

The Kings recently signed their king to a major contract extension. The Kings' leading point scorer and token Slovenian, Anze Kopitar signed an eight-year contract extension with the team Saturday. Despite the news of the long awaited extension though, it is a newcomer that is making the biggest splash of late in LA. Former number one overall pick and veteran centerman, Vincent Lecavalier seemed to have hit a low point in his career when he was traded from the Flyers a couple weeks ago, but he has made the most of a new situation having scored four goals in his first nine games as a King, including a clutch last minute equalizer against the Sharks on Sunday. The 35-year old will look to continue his hot streak against a tired and sick Avalanche team playing their final game before the All-Star break.

LINES

Tanguay-MacKinnon-Duchene

Landeskog-Soderberg-Comeau

Martinsen-Grigorenko-Iginla

McLeod-Mitchell-Skille

Beauchemin-Johnson

Holden-Barrie

Bigras-Redmond

Pickard

Will

Scratches: Wagner, Bodnarchuk, Varlamov (legal issues)

NOTES

- The Avs surrendered as many goals Tuesday as they had in the previous six games combined.

- Goaltender Roman Will, who was called up as a backup before the game made his NHL debut when he entered the game in the third Tuesday.

- The Kings are third in the league in lowest goals against.

GAME INFO

Game Time: 8:30pm MT

TV: NBCSN