Colorado at Los Angeles

The beleaguered Kings could get a boost as this is D.J. Smith's first game coaching them following the firing of Jim Hiller. Unfortunately for the Kings and Smith, their opponent is Colorado. The Avalanche have the most points in the NHL with 87. The Avalanche are first in scoring in the league, averaging 3.8 goals a game. They have scored nine goals in two games against the Kings this season, winning 5-2 at home on Dec. 29 and 4-1 on the road back on opening night. Colorado also gives up the fewest goals per game. LA looked dreadful in its first two games after the Olympic break, losing 6-4 at home to the Golden Knights, when Las Vegas didn't have any of its five Olympic players. The Kings followed that up with a brutal 8-1 home loss to the Oilers before shutting out the Flames, 2-0, this past Saturday to halt a five-game losing streak. That victory against the lowly Flames wasn't enough to save Hiller. Subtract that Flames game, and the Kings are giving up an average of 5.5 goals a game in their last four games. Take the Avalanche.