Pre-game thoughts: Jackets @ LA

Two streaking teams collide in LA tonight. The Jackets, who have a 3 game winning streak, will take on the LA Kings tonight who themselves have a 4 game winning streak of their own.

Keys to lighting em up

The Jackets must shut down the Cammalleri-Kopitar-Brown line. Cammalleri leads the league with 10 goals and combined that line has a total of 34 points - wow!!

Special teams must come up big. LA has the 6th best PP we have the #1 PK. LA has the 19th best PK we have the 15th best PP. Whom ever wins the special teams will most likely win this game.

Both goaltenders are red hot right now in Leclaire and LaBarbera. The Jackets need to score early and rattle him and get him off his streak.

Nash on the road will see the other team's best checkers all night. We need some secondary scoring to step up. The good thing is that Modin is back tonight so it will be Modin-Peca-Nash on a line and even against the other team's best checkers these guys should be able to create some chances. Still though the Chimera-Manny-Fritsche line will need to continue doing what they do and bury a one or two....and it would be good to see a guy like Brule or a d-man come up with one tonight.

The Kings can be scored on... they've already given up 38 against in 12 games which ranks them tied tied for second worst in the league with Nashville. Edmonton being the worst. In contrast the Jackets have given up the least amount of goals although they do have a game or two in hand with most of that conference. So bottom line, the Jackets really have no excuse not to get the offense churning tonight.

Probably the biggest key for me is how does this team come out after 3 days offs? Not only are they playing in the Western time zone they also don't want to come out flat like they did in Colorado. The Jackets must come out swinging and attacking this LA team and score on their chances.

You hate to say this is another important game but it is....really they all are right now as this team must continue to build off their first 10 games. The Jackets have Anahiem on Friday so while ideally they'd like to take 4 points during these two games I think coming out with two would be a decent short road trip. It starts tonight at 10:30.

-LTL