By Dave Vest
GLENDALE -- The Coyotes will play the second game of a home-and-home series with the Los Angeles Kings tonight at Jobing.com Arena. The puck drops at 6 p.m. (Arizona time).
Phoenix (24-15-9) won the first game, 2-0, on Thursday night at the Staples Center to up its record to 3-0-0 vs. the Kings this season.
The big story in Thursday's game was a goal scored by Coyotes center
Martin Hanzal in the second period. The Kings believed Hanzal hit the puck into their net with a hi-stick, but the play was ruled a goal on the ice and was allowed after a lengthy video review.
"Those (goals) are ones, if you look back two weeks ago, we had one go against us in Dallas just like that," Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett said. "They called a no-goal against us, and (Thursday) we got a break."
Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi was fined $50,000 by the NHL on Friday for his post-game comments about the goal. He offered an apology on Friday.
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Photo by Getty Images.
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"I spoke to the Commissioner today and he made it very clear to me that my actions last night were inappropriate and detrimental to the game," Lombardi said in a statement released by the team. "There is no question that his assessment is correct and the punishment fits the crime."
Ilya Bryzgalov likely will be back in goal for the Coyotes after stopping all 36 shots he faced in Thursday's vcitory. Bryzgalov has faced the Kings 20 times in his NHL career and has beaten them 14 times.
The Coyotes are hoping to have defenseman
Ed Jovanovski back in the lineup tonight. Jovanovski has missed the past four games because of a lower-body injury he suffered vs. Toronto on Jan. 13. Defenseman
Derek Morris suffered a lower-body injury in Thursday's game vs. LA and will not play tonight. He is considered day-to-day.
The Kings (24-22-1) were in fourth place in the Western Conference standings the last time they came to Jobing.com Arena on Dec. 29. Since losing that night, they've won just two games and have dropped to 12th place in the conference standings.
More recently, LA has scored just one goal in its last 172:30 while losing three games in a row.
