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Nov 5, 2009 10:30 am US/Eastern
Penguins Vs. Kings Preview
By: Sergei J. Feldman
LOS ANGELES (KDKA) ―
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Sidney Crosby No. 87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins gets ready to take a faceoff during their NHL game against the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 28, 2008, at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y.
Rick Stewart/Getty Images
Despite the beautiful Pacific Ocean within walking distance, the Pittsburgh Penguins (12-3-0) will look to ride a wave of road-game momentum against the Los Angeles Kings Thursday night at the Staples Center.
Thus far, the Penguins are an undefeated 6-0-0 away from Mellon Arena.
And with a victory over Los Angeles, the team could set an NHL record for most consecutive road wins to start a season.
While the record would be impressive, skating away with two points remains the first priority, especially against a Los Angeles team poised to challenge for a playoff spot at season's end.
Through 15 games, Los Angeles has 20 points a 9-4-2 record.
Equally - or more impressive - has been the lights-out play by Kings' forward Anze Kopitar, who enters tonight's game atop the league in scoring with 24 points.
Drafted 11th overall in 2005, Kopitar is on pace for a career year and figures to give the Penguins fits all night.
On the other end of the ice is former Penguin Rob Scuderi, who signed a long-term contract with Los Angeles in the offseason after winning the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh.
Just like in Pittsburgh, Scuderi's solid positional play, experience and leadership has rubbed off on an otherwise young, talented team.
Both teams are coming off victories, but not especially impressive performances.
Pittsburgh continued its power-play woes against Anaheim Tuesday night, going 0-for-4 with the man advantage in the first period alone.
A balanced attack and strong goaltending - by both Marc-Andre Fleury and Sidney Crosby, who made a game-saving stop in the crease with just minutes remaining in the third period - proved to be too much for the Ducks.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles relied on a third period come-from-behind victory over Phoenix Monday night.
With momentum, two points and an NHL record on the line, tonight's game promises to be a spirited affair between an established powerhouse and an emerging one.
This will be the only meeting between the two teams.
The puck is set to drop at 10:30 p.m.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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