The Anaheim Ducks will conclude their six-game homestand by hosting the Los Angeles Kings at Honda Center in a Black Friday matchup. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on Victory+ and FOX 11.
This marks the 21st consecutive Black Friday game in Orange County for the Ducks, who have hosted this event every season since 2002-03, except for years affected by the pandemic or league lockouts. The Ducks currently hold an overall Black Friday record of 11-11-5. This is also the third straight season that Anaheim has faced Los Angeles in this annual contest.
The outcome of today’s game could significantly impact the Pacific Division standings. Anaheim leads the division with 29 points, while Los Angeles trails closely with 28 points, tied with both the Golden Knights and Kraken.
Anaheim enters this matchup following a narrow 5-4 loss to Vancouver on Wednesday, where they allowed two early goals—marking the third consecutive game in which they conceded first. Head coach Joel Quenneville addressed concerns about slow starts: “We’ll look at addressing whatever we think that could be the reason, but I think we’re prepared,” Quenneville said. “I think they’re excited to get started. Building’s loud. A lot of enthusiasm. I mean, it’s what we’re looking for … It’s tough league when you’re digging into that kind of a hole.”
Defenseman Jackson LaCombe commented on areas for improvement: “We’ve just got to go the same way offensively,” LaCombe said. “I thought we did a great job moving pucks and shooting a lot. We’ve just got to clean up the defensive zone and stay more connected.”
The Kings arrive after ending their three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Ottawa, highlighted by Brandt Clarke’s power-play goal in the third period.
Quenneville noted that facing Los Angeles presents challenges: “They’re a good hockey team, they check well, they’re sound defensively and they play a tight system in their own end,” he said. “We already know that we’re going to have to fight for space.”
Adrian Kempe leads Los Angeles with 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists), while Kevin Fiala tops their goal-scoring chart with nine.
