Game 40 Preview: Kings @ Avalanche

A lot of fans showed up for the Avalanche's game against the Flames Saturday night. Unfortunately for those fans, the Avalanche didn't return the favor and the Avs got burned by the Flames 4-0. The Avs seemed more concerned with getting Jarome Iginla his 600th goal against his former team than they did with scoring at all.

Scoring won't get much easier for the Avs Monday when the Kings come to town. The Kings have returned to their bread and butter defense from the last several years and again lead the league in lowest goals against. That great defensive play has the Kings back on top of a rather mediocre Pacific division. Beyond their great defensive play, the Kings are led offensively by a rising star in 23-year old Tyler Toffoli. Playing in his fourth NHL season, Toffoli has taken his game to the next level and leads the Kings in goals and sit in the NHL's top ten in that category. The Avalanche will have their hands full, but will need to figure out how to play on home ice with five of their next six at home.

LINES

Tanguay-MacKinnon-Iginla

Martinsen-Mitchell-Duchene

Landeskog-Soderberg-Comeau

McLeod-Grigorenko-Skille

Beauchemin-Johnson

Holden-Barrie

Gormley-Redmond

Varlamov

Pickard

Scratches: Guenin, Wagner

NOTES

- The Avs are now 6-9-3 at home this season.

- The Kings carry a five game win streak into Monday night's game.

- If the Avalanche were in the Pacific division, they would be in a playoff position.

GAME INFO

Game time: 7pm MT

TV: NBCSN