10* Monday NHL ANA/LA

Anaheim vs. Los Angeles, 02/25/2013 22:30 EDT, Score: 2 - 5

Money Line: -144 Los Angeles

Sportsbook: BETONLINE

Result: Win

Kings -144

The Los Angeles Kings host the Anaheim Ducks on Monday. Los Angeles is coming off a 4-1 win over Colorado, while Anaheim needed overtime to get past that same Avalanche team on Sunday, 4-3.

We knew it would just be a matter of time before Los Angeles’ Stanley Cup hangover dissipated, and it appears they have finally powered through that barrier, winning three in a row and five of their last six games. In each of those wins, the team allowed no more than one goal, with the lone loss coming to the NHL-leading Blackhawks.

Conn Smythe Trophy recipient Jonathan Quick has posted a 1.00 GAA and .958 save percentage over his last two starts, and a 1.27 GAA and .934 save percentage in his last three home starts.

Star forward Anze Kopitar got a late start to the season and he is finally rounding into form, recording at least a point in six of the his last seven games.

The Ducks have dropped seven of their last 10 trips to Los Angeles. They haven’t brought their A-game on the second night of back-to-backs, particularly when there’s travel involved, needing a shootout to settle each game.

The Anaheim offense has actually taken a big step backward over their last three games, scoring five of their nine goals on the power play, an always unreliable source of goal production.

The home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings between these teams, and the Kings have won five of the past seven meetings overall.

It won’t be much longer that we’ll be able to back the Kings at such a reasonable price. With the public slow to react on the changing landscape in the City of Angels, we’ll bump this pick up to our top rating. Take Los Angeles.

Good Luck, Razor Ray

10* Play on Los Angeles Kings -144