Mats Zuccarello will miss another game for the Kings, and this one comes with a familiar backdrop: a trip back to Madison Square Garden.
Los Angeles head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters that the veteran forward is dealing with an upper-body injury and will not play Monday night against the Rangers. Laviolette did not offer specifics on the issue.
Zuccarello had been in the lineup for each of the last three games, including Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils, when he logged 13:20 of ice time. But this will already be the fourth game he has missed this season.
Earlier this month, an undisclosed injury kept him out for two weeks. He was placed on injured reserve, missed three games, and the Kings dropped all three before snapping that skid with a win over the Washington Capitals last Tuesday in Zuccarello’s return.
The early returns in Los Angeles still haven’t matched what the Kings were hoping for when they signed him to a one-year, $1 million deal over the summer. After a run of five straight 50-point seasons with the Minnesota Wild, he has produced just one assist in six games for his new club. He has gone pointless in his last four appearances, carries a plus/minus of +1, and is averaging 16:23 of ice time.
The Kings enter Monday at 2-5-2 and sit seventh in the Pacific Division, even after winning back-to-back games last week. Puck drop against the Rangers is scheduled for a little after 7 p.m. ET.
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