The Vancouver Canucks (26-20-11) open another set of back-to-back games when they face the Los Angeles Kings (30-17-7) at Crypto.com Arena tonight. They will face the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center tomorrow.
The Canucks are coming off a lost weekend in Vegas and Utah and are looking to avoid three straight regulation losses for the first time all season. And they may be getting their most important player back in the lineup. Maybe.

What we know

After missing six games and 26 days with an oblique injury, captain Quinn Hughes could return to the Canucks lineup. He took the optional morning skate, which is considered a game-time decision. The team’s leading scorer has been sorely missed, as the Canucks have managed just nine goals in their last five games and only two in a pair of tight losses since the 4 Nations break. Jake DeBrusk scored both goals in Vegas and Utah over the weekend, giving him a team-leading 21 on the season. His goals opened the scoring in both games over the weekend, and his last three goals have all staked the Canucks to 1-0 leads.
Of the nine goals the team has scored recently, four of them have come on the power play (4/18). The others were Drew O’Connor with an empty netter and on a penalty shot. That leaves the team with just three goals at 5-on-5 over its last five outings.
Elias Pettersson has gone 11 games without a goal and has just one in 17 games since Christmas. He does, however, have primary assists on two of the last four goals the Canucks have scored. At practice on Tuesday, Pettersson skated with DeBrusk and Nils Höglander. 
Brock Boeser, who turned 28 yesterday, has scored 17 goals in 22 career games against the Kings. It matches his best output against a single opponent (also has 17 goals against Edmonton). Boeser is three goals shy of 200 for his NHL career. Boeser is likely to play on a line with Pius Suter and Drew O’Connor.
Kevin Lankinen gets the start in goal tonight. Lankinen was terrific in Vegas on Saturday stopping 33 of 35 shots in a 3-1 loss to the Golden Knights. The 29-year-old Finn is 2-0 lifetime against the Kings and has allowed only three goals in those starts.
In 23 games since Christmas, forward Teddy Blueger has no goals and just one assist. Over that span, the club has been outscored 13-3 with Blueger on the ice at 5-on-5. The veteran centre’s last goal came on December 19th in Las Vegas. Blueger started the year strong with four goals and 10 points in the team’s first 20 games.

The opponent

The Kings have won both of their games out of the 4 Nations break and are 5-0-1 in their last six outings. They defeated Utah 5-3 on Saturday night and beat Vegas 5-2 on Monday. Against the Knights, Trevor Moore scored twice while Quinton Byfield registered a career-high four assists. Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves but is expected to get the night off, while David Rittich tends the net for the first time since February 8th against Anaheim.
Los Angeles is now 19-3-2 on home ice this season and 14-1-1 in its last 16 games at home. The Canucks, however, are one of the three teams to beat the Kings in regulation. LA has played the fewest home games in the league this season and will finish its schedule with 17 of 27 on home ice.
Adrian Kempe leads the Kings in goals (25) and points (48), while Kevin Fiala scored on Monday and now has 23 goals on the season. Meanwhile, 37-year-old Anze Kopitar is still going strong and is second on the club with 46 points, including a team-high 33 assists. Los Angeles isn’t a high-scoring team, but the Kings are 26-0-2 when scoring three goals or more this season.
The Kings are fifth in the NHL in goals against, averaging 2.53 a night. In terms of raw goals allowed, only Winnipeg (138) has surrendered fewer goals than LA’s 139 so far this season.
Veteran Drew Doughty is back in the lineup after missing the first four months of the season recovering from a broken ankle. He represented Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off and has appeared in eight regular season games. He has a goal and three assists while averaging 25:55 of ice per night.
These teams have split their first two meetings this season, with each winning in the other team’s building. The Canucks posted a 4-2 win in LA on November 7th, while the Kings were 5-1 winners at Rogers Arena on January 16th.
Tonight’s referees: Wes McCauley & TJ Luxmore
Tonight’s broadcasters: John Shorthouse & Dave Tomlinson
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