#FreewayFaceoff: Three good reasons to watch LA Kings vs. Ducks (7p, FOX Sports West, Prime Ticket)

Published Nov. 6, 2018 10:37 p.m. ET

Fox Sports

7p: WATCH ON FOX SPORTS WEST | WATCH ON PRIME TICKET

The Los Angeles Kings are opening a new era under Willie Desjardins.

The Anaheim Ducks are coming off an epic performance by Cam Fowler.

It's also, by the way, the first #FreewayFaceoff of the 2018-19 NHL regular season season!

Interested?! You are in luck!

Tonight's broadcast from Staples Center can be seen on both FOX Sports West(LA Kings crew) and #PrimeTicket(Ducks crew) starting at 7p PT.

https://twitter.com/FoxSportsWest/status/1059887558224564224

And, the icing on the cake, the matchup can be viewed anywhere on the FOX Sports App.

Now, that the formalities are out of the way, let's talk some hockey.

New day

Willie Desjardins is here, and the LA Kings are already welcoming the change in attitude.

The club fired John Stevens on Sunday and replaced him with Desjardins, formally with the Canucks from 2014-2017.

Stevens coached the LA Kings to a 45-29-8 mark in his first season at the helm a year ago, but the squad never found its footing en route to a 4-8-1 start to 2018-19.

Desjardins expects the LA Kings (4-8-1) to 'play with passion' and 'be excited to be at the rink'.

Those statements will be on display tonight is Desjardin's debut game on the bench, and on home ice, to boot.

Cam Bam!

Sunday was a banner day for veteran Cam Fowler of the Ducks (6-6-3).

He became the third-ever Anaheim defenseman to complete a hat-trick in the 3-2 overtime win vs. the Blue Jackets.

Fowler, forever the team player, said the victory was the 'main thing that came out of tonight's game.'

.

Fowler has played his entire NHL career with the Ducks (596 games), amassing 56 goals and 202 assists.

In some good news from early skate Tuesday morning, the Ducks will likely have captain Ryan Getzlaf (upper-body injury) and forward Ryan Kesler (elbow) available tonight, though both are game-time decisions, according to Randy Carlyle.

The #FreewayFaceoff!

When the two SoCal hockey teams meet on the ice, it's a special thing!

With three Stanley Cup between the clubs in the last 11 years, a wealth of talent and ever-growing fan bases across the Southland and Anaheim, this will be a rivalry which continues to grow in excellence.

In the last 25 regular-season meetings, the Ducks hold a 17-4-4 advantage over the LA Kings, however a majority of the games have been close, with 17 of the last 24 decided by one goal.

Overall, the Ducks hold a 66-45-26 advantage, even a 28-29-10 mark in Los Angeles.

This will be the last instance the two squads meet until Sunday, March 10 at Honda Center.

Also, these players on the LA Kings and Ducks simply do not like each other. Get the gloves up!

https://twitter.com/alex_faust/status/1059854945946611712