Written by :
Published on :
The Coyotes-Kings Game 4 line had Los Angeles at -200 in this potential elimination Game 4 of the NHL Playoffs. All lines can be found here at Sportsbook.
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Los Angeles -200 & 4.5 over -125
The Kings go for the jugular Thursday night, looking to take a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Coyotes as the Western Conference Finals series shifts back to Los Angeles.
L.A. dominated Game 2 with a 4-0 win over Phoenix, improving its playoff road record to a perfect 7-0 this season—tying an NHL record. The Kings are now 10-1 in the 2012 postseason, outscoring opponents 35 to 16, and the club is on pace for the most dominant postseason since the 1988 Edmonton Oilers went 16-2 en route to the Stanley Cup. After scoring two fluky goals in Game 1, the Coyotes generated no offense in Game 2 with Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick turning aside 24 shots in his second shutout of the postseason. After scoring nine goals in the first two games of their series with Nashville, the Coyotes have scored just five goals in the five subsequent games. Phoenix’s best scorers have been absent for much of the playoffs, and if they remain silent this series will be over in four games—especially with the NHL’s hottest goaltender between the pipes at the other end. If these first two games taught us anything, it’s that Phoenix has no answer for the Kings’ size, speed and physicality. It’s a crazy mismatch.
After tallying just one goal all postseason long, L.A. trade deadline acquisition Jeff Carter finally made his presence felt in Game 2 with a hat trick. Carter was brought in to be a goal scoring force, and he finally delivered in a big road game.
All four lines have played well for the Kings during this postseason, but the top line of Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams have 13 goals and 23 assists in the 2012 playoffs. Rookie LW Dwight King scored the opening goal of Game 2 after tallying twice in Game 1.
It’s tough to win hockey games when your best players are not playing their best. The Coyotes were able to get by in the first two rounds thanks to some surprise offense from forwards like Mikkel Boedker (four goals, four assists) and Antoine Vermette (five goals, four assists), but Radim Vrbata (two goals, two assists) has been inexplicably silent despite leading the team in goals in the regular season (35). If he and RW Ray Whitney (team-high 77 points in regular season) can’t find a way to get going, this series won’t make it back to Phoenix for a Game 5.
The Coyotes will be without C Martin Hanzal (three goals, two assists) in this game, as he serves a one-game suspension for an illegal hit on Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown. Hanzal was a key defensive forward tasked with defending the Kings’ top line, and given the trouble the Yotes have had stopping L.A. in this series, this can only make matters worse.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
