INSIDE HOCKEY

The series that has been dubbed the Freeway Faceoff returned to the Honda Center on Monday night, in the fourth match up between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. So far this season, it’d been more like a one-way highway as the Kings had won each of the three games prior to Monday.

However, both teams were playing for a ten game streak. The Ducks had won their last nine at home and the Kings were aiming for a franchise-first ten game win streak. A perfect ten was on the line for both teams, but which team would continue on into the double digits and which team would have to start over?

The first period was a pretty evenly played by both teams.  Center Oscar Moller found an opening to the right side of Jonas Hiller and gave the Kings an early lead at 12:31. A few minutes later the Kings had two penalties called against them within a thirty-second time span, giving the Ducks a ninety-second two-man advantage. Teemu Selanne peppered the weak-side post until Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was sprawled on the ice and the puck landed in the net, tying up the game.

The second 20 minutes of play was even more exciting than the first.

Ryan Getzlaf scored early in the period giving the Ducks their first lead of the game. Saku Koivu added another goal to that lead on a power play opportunity a few minutes later. Though three other penalties were called during the period, neither team was able to capitalize on the opportunities they were given.

Towards the end of the period, Anze Kopitar brought the Kings back within one, but it didn’t last long as Corey Perry scored less than 30 seconds later. So, the period ended at 4-2 with the Ducks in the lead, but this type of battle, anything could happen in the final twenty minutes.

Throughout the third period, the Kings fought to stay in the game as Hiller faced eighteen shots from the Kings in the final 20 minutes alone. Although there were some “juicy rebounds,” as coach Randy Carlyle put it, Hiller stopped every puck that came his way as the Ducks went on to win it 4-2, winning their tenth in a row at home and simultaneously snapping the Kings nine-game win streak.

“We were full of energy and we wanted to come out and we wanted to prove that we can play with top teams,” Perry commented on the win.

*INJURY NOTE*

Between the second and third periods, it was announced that Getzlaf left the game with an ankle sprain and though x-rays were negative, he would not be returning to the game.

“He’ll have an MRI done tomorrow and that will give us a better indication on the severity of the sprain,” Carlyle stated.