SoCal NHL Preview

Los Angeles (12-16-2) at Chicago (14-13-2), 8:30 pm, FSN
CHICAGO (Ticker) - After a promising November, the Chicago Blackhawks have been atrocious to begin this month. Rookie Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks aim to pick up their first point of the month when they host the lowly Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Chicago, which went 8-3-2 in November, is the only team in the league yet to record a point in December. The Blackhawks have lost four straight and part of their struggles can be traced to the recent lack of production from Kane. The first overall pick in this year's draft, Kane leads Chicago with 21 assists and 28 points, but has recorded just one assist during the losing streak. Meanwhile, Nikolai Khabibulin has lost his last three starts, and has a 3.40 goals-against average during that stretch. Still, the 13-year veteran is a solid 15-5-0 with a 1.81 GAA and six shutouts vs. the Kings since 1997. Los Angeles, which has won two of three, lost its top goaltender, Jason LaBarbera to a rib injury on December 1. Jean-Sebastien Aubin stopped 26 shots in a 4-2 win over Vancouver on Monday. The Kings, who are tied with Phoenix for the worst record in the Western Conference, have won two straight for the first time since a four-game winning streak from October 19-27.

Vancouver (16-11-3) at Anaheim (15-13-4), 7:00 pm
ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) - The Vancouver Canucks will likely be without star goaltender Roberto Luongo when they visit the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. Luongo took a puck to the ribs on December 2 against Minnesota and fought through the pain in a win at Chicago three days later. He sat out the next night in a win at Vancouver and struggled through a 2-1 shootout loss against Pittsburgh before pulling himself out of the lineup in a loss at Los Angeles on Monday. The 28-year-old will take at least one more game off to let the rib injury heal, surrendering his post in goal to backup Curtis Sanford. While the Canucks are down a star player, the Ducks are hoping to have one back. Scott Niedermayer announced last week that he is returning to the team and he may be in the lineup Wednesday. The Conn Smythe Trophy-winning defenseman had been contemplating retirement since the Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators for the Stanley Cup championship in June. However, Niedermayer has yet to practice with entire team and the team must make moves to fit him under next year's salary cap before he takes the ice - a fact that could push his return back to this weekend. The Ducks are coming off an overtime win at Columbus on Monday. Corey Perry had two goals in the win and leads the team with 17 tallies, including four in the last four games. Anaheim has won three of its last four games, scoring at least four goals in each of the three victories.