TEAM SNAPSHOTS
BLUES The St. Louis Blues concluded their activity at Friday's NHL Trade Deadline, acquiring Jakub Vrana from Detroit in their last move amidst a busy stretch for Doug Armstrong.
As Armstrong re-tools the roster, the new-look Blues delivered a solid win in San Jose on Thursday night. Down 2-0 early, the Blues used a 4-0 second period to generate momentum and come away with a 6-3 win.
Jordan Kyrou got back onto the scoresheet after five scoreless games, skating with confidence and recording his 30th assist and team-leading 26th goal of the season. Kyrou is now just one goal shy of matching his career-best 27 goals from last season.
Pavel Buchnevich also provided a pivotal spark, tying his career high with four assists. Kasperi Kapanen's first goal as a Blue came on an empty net to seal the victory.
With the newest member of the team Jakub Vrana likely to make his debut, the Blues continue their Pacific Division road trip against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Blues will face the Kings with a record of 27-29-5, worth 59 points and sixth in the Central Division.
KINGS The Los Angeles Kings made a big trade on Wednesday, sending longtime goaltender Jonathan Quick to Columbus - later rerouted to Vegas - for defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.
Quick had spent his entire 16-year career in Los Angeles - winning two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy - becoming the Kings' all-time leader in goaltender wins, games played and shutouts by wide margins.
Early on Friday's Trade Deadline day, the Kings traded Brendan Lemieux and a future fourth-round pick to Philadelphia for Zack MacEwen. They also traded Frederic Allard to Montreal for Nate Schnarr.
The Kings are hungry for wins as they find themselves squarely in the Western Conference playoff race, currently sharing the Pacific Division lead with Vegas at 78 points - though the Golden Knights possess two games in hand.
A tight win over Montreal on Thursday helped their pursuit of the division crown, with Anze Kopitar's 25th goal of the season proving to be the game winner in the 3-2 victory. Kopitar's 58 points this season - his 17th in Los Angeles - rank No. 2 on the team.
The Kings host the Blues on Saturday with a record of 35-20-8, worth 78 points and second in the Pacific Division.
HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues fell 5-1 to the Kings at Enterprise Center earlier this year. The season series concludes in Los Angeles on March 26. The Blues are 6-2-2 in their last 10 trips to Los Angeles.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Jordan Kyrou, who leads the Blues with 28 points in 27 road games this year. Kyrou finished with two points in San Jose on Thursday, his 17th multi-point game this season.
KINGS Kevin Fiala, acquired from Minnesota via trade this offseason and leading the Kings with 64 points this season. Fiala has 17 points in 24 career games against the Blues, including three assists in the lone matchup earlier this year.
BLUE NOTES
Robert Thomas is expected to dress in his 300th career NHL game on Saturday... The Blues are 15-for-16 (93.8 percent) on the penalty kill in their last five matchups with the Kings... After Doug Armstrong's busy Trade Deadline, the Blues now possess three picks in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft - including a five percent chance at the No. 1 pick as of Friday afternoon... Vrana, acquired by the Blues ahead of the Trade Deadline, recorded eight points in 23 playoff games as he helped the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018.
Newly acquired goalie Joonas Korpisalo could make his team debut for the Los Angeles Kings when they host the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.
Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov were acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for veteran goalie Jonathan Quick and two draft picks on Wednesday, one of the more surprising moves in the days leading up to Friday's NHL trade deadline.
Quick, who led the Kings to Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014, was in the final season of a 10-year contract. Columbus then dealt the 37-year-old to the Kings' Pacific Division rival, the Vegas Golden Knights.
Korpisalo, who turns 29 next month, had a 3.17 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage in 28 games with the Blue Jackets this season, including 26 starts. Columbus has the fewest points in the NHL (46).
Heading into this season, Los Angeles was counting on Cal Petersen to grab the reins as the No. 1 starter, but he was demoted to Ontario of the American Hockey League after posting a 3.75 GAA and an .868 save percentage in his first 10 games.
In 26 games for Ontario through Thursday, Petersen had a 2.71 GAA and a .914 save percentage, more in line with his NHL numbers the past two seasons.
Since Petersen's demotion, Los Angeles received surprisingly strong play in goal from Pheonix Copley, who spent more time in the AHL than the NHL in the previous eight seasons.
Copley, who has played with St. Louis (2015-16 and 2016-17) and the Washington Capitals (2018-19 and 2021-22), won nine of his first 10 starts with the Kings and 12 of 14. Even when he hasn't been as sharp, Copley has kept Los Angeles within striking distance in most of his appearances.
Copley has never appeared in a postseason game, however, while Korpisalo made nine starts for the Blue Jackets during the 2019-20 playoffs.
"We haven't come in and said, 'Hey, Korpisalo is our No. 1 guy,'" Kings coach Todd McLellan said. "What we've said is, Korpisalo is a part of our team and Copley is part of our team. They're both important and they're both going to play."
The Blues made a notable move on Friday, acquiring forward Jakub Vrana from the Detroit Red Wings for forward Dylan McLaughlin and a seventh-round draft pick in the 2025 draft.
Vrana, 27, was selected 13th overall by the Capitals in the 2014 draft and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2018. He's shown flashes of excellence, but has had difficulty earning playing time and then staying on the ice.
St. Louis claimed forward Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins last weekend, and he scored his first goal for the Blues on Thursday, an empty-netter in a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks to start a three-game road trip and end a six-game losing streak (0-4-2).
The Kings are coming off a 3-2 win over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
On Friday, the Kings traded one enforcer for another, sending forward Brendan Lemieux along with a fifth-round pick in 2024 to the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Zack MacEwen.
The Kings also acquired forward Nate Schnarr from the Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Frederic Allard. Schnarr, a third-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2017, has not appeared in an NHL game.
