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NHL on NBCSN: Kings begin road trip against Sabres

Torrey Mitchell, Matt Greene

Buffalo Sabres center Torrey Mitchell, left, and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Greene collide as they go after a flying puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

AP

NBCSN will continue its coverage of the 2014-15 campaign when the Buffalo Sabres host the Los Angeles Kings at the First Niagara Center at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight. In addition to NBCSN, you can also watch the game and pre-show online.

There are a lot of remarkable stats one can throw around about the Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres, yet all things considered, their records in the last 10 games ranks up there among the most baffling:

Kings in last 10 games: 6-3-1
Sabres in last 10 games: 6-4-0

Considering how poorly Buffalo comes across in an array of areas - a power play of potentially historic inefficiency, allowing 13 more shots per game than they’re producing - it’s remarkable that the Sabres’ record has been nearly identical to the Kings’ lately.

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NHL.com notes that Los Angeles is just 3-2-1 in games in which they’ve generated at least 38 shots on goal, including Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

From this narrative thread, it seems like Buffalo’s best bet is to frustrate (or even “rope-a-dope”) Los Angeles.

There could be some hard feelings carrying over from the two teams’ first meeting of 2014-15. Four fights erupted in the Kings’ 2-0 win on Oct. 23, so despite limited exposure against each other, there’s a chance for some tension on Tuesday night.

The Kings hope to improve on the road, as they carry a 3-4-4 away record into a five-game road trip that begins tonight in Buffalo.

It will be interesting to see if Los Angeles ends up going with Martin Jones instead of Jonathan Quick in goal, as Jones is currently riding a two-game shutout streak. If Buffalo gives Jhonas Enroth the nod, we could witness a battle between two netminders who have been on relative hot streaks lately.

Ultimately, tonight’s a match between a cellar dweller and the defending Stanley Cup champions, yet the Kings would be wise not to take the Sabres lightly.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins