Los Angeles (9-1-1) at St Louis (9-2-1)
When: Monday, October 30th 2017
Where: Scottrade Center, St Louis, MO
Time: 8:05 ET | TV: FSN West, FSN Midwest
Opening Odds: St Louis -125/5.5
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The top two teams in the Western Conference will battle for early supremacy when the Los Angeles Kings visit the St. Louis Blues on Monday night at Scottrade Center. The Kings will conclude their six-game road trip on Monday in a building that no opponent has mastered yet this season as the Blues remain the lone undefeated team at home. Tyler Toffoli capped his two-goal performance in dramatic fashion, scoring off a faceoff with less than a second remaining in overtime as Los Angeles matched the team’s 1980-81 start (9-1 with one tie) with a 2-1 win over Boston on Saturday. Captain Anze Kopitar comes into this matchup with 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) in 39 career encounters with St. Louis. Like the Kings, the Blues are off to a terrific start and improved to 5-0-1 in their last six on Saturday by winning the opener of their four-game homestand with a 4-1 victory over Columbus. Fourth-liner Scottie Upshall recorded his first three-point performance in nearly three years with a goal and two assists as St. Louis claimed its ninth win in its first 12 games to a season for the sixth time in franchise history and first since 2010-11. St. Louis is a perfect 8-0-0 this season when leading after two periods.
Goalie Jonathan Quick has been terrific in the early going, allowing just one goal in his last two games while improving his save percentage (.946) and goals-against average (1.76) in the process. Quick hasn’t had much luck against the Blues, however, as he’s dropped 13 of 21 career decisions (8-10-3) despite posting a .919 save percentage and 2.23 GAA. Kopitar recorded an assist for his team-leading 13th point on Saturday and is well above pace to surpass his 52-point season of 2016-17.
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St. Louis is receiving offense from an unexpected source in Vladimir Sobotka, who scored his first goal of the season and earned his fourth point (one goal, three assists) in five games late in the first period on Saturday. Sobotka, who has collected all eight of his points (one goal, seven assists) in the Blues’ nine wins this season, has scored twice in 13 games since returning to the club from the Kontinental Hockey League toward the end of last season. Jaden Schwartz, who leads the team in goals (seven) and points (15), scored and set up a goal versus Los Angeles last season and has seven points (three goals, four assists) in 12 career meetings with the Kings. The Blues are just 2-for-20 on the power play in their last seven games after scoring one in each of their first five games to begin the season.
DENVER BRONCOS VS KANSAS CITY CHIEFS PREVIEW AND PREDICTION
It’s too early in the season to say this could be a Western Conference Final preview, but both these teams are playing lights-out. I’m going to give the advantage here to St. Louis because they’re at home and the Kings are ending a long road trip.
Pick: Blues -127
- Kings are 5-0 in their last 5 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Kings are 4-0 in their last 4 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Kings are 6-0 in their last 6 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Kings are 7-1 in their last 8 overall.
- Kings are 5-1 in their last 6 road games.
- Kings are 5-1 in their last 6 games following a win.
- Kings are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Kings are 4-1 in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Kings are 7-2 in their last 9 vs. Central.
- Kings are 2-5 in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Kings are 1-10 in their last 11 Monday games.
- Blues are 4-0 in their last 4 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Blues are 6-0 in their last 6 home games.
- Blues are 5-1 in their last 6 Monday games.
- Blues are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.
- Blues are 20-6 in their last 26 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Blues are 6-2 in their last 8 vs. Pacific.
- Blues are 6-2 in their last 8 games following a win.
- Blues are 5-2 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Blues are 5-2 in their last 7 in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation.
- Blues are 45-21 in their last 66 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Blues are 36-17 in their last 53 overall.
- Blues are 2-6 in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Under is 4-0 in Kings last 4 overall.
- Over is 3-0-3 in Kings last 6 vs. Western Conference.
- Under is 5-1 in Kings last 6 Monday games.
- Under is 9-3-4 in Kings last 16 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Kings last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 13-5-9 in Kings last 27 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Over is 5-2-4 in Kings last 11 vs. Central.
- Under is 28-12-11 in Kings last 51 road games.
- Under is 22-10-8 in Kings last 40 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Under is 25-12-14 in Kings last 51 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Under is 6-0-1 in Blues last 7 Monday games.
- Under is 7-1-2 in Blues last 10 in the third game of a 3-in-4 days situation.
- Under is 20-4-4 in Blues last 28 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Under is 5-1 in Blues last 6 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 days situation.
- Over is 4-1 in Blues last 5 vs. Western Conference.
- Under is 15-5-3 in Blues last 23 vs. Pacific.
- Under is 18-7-3 in Blues last 28 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Under is 18-7-1 in Blues last 26 games following a win.
- Over is 5-2 in Blues last 7 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Under is 31-15-5 in Blues last 51 when their opponent allows 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
- Under is 13-4-5 in the last 22 meetings in St. Louis.
- Home team is 13-5 in the last 18 meetings.
- Kings are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings.
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