After failing to record a point -- or even a goal -- on a brief road trip, the Los Angeles Kings return home to face the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night in the season opener of their Freeway Face-off series at Staples Center.Los Angeles was 2-3-0 against Anaheim last season, including 1-2-0 at home. The Kings managed no more than two goals in each of the last four games.Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar was held without a point in shutout losses at St. Louis and Chicago over the weekend, and has just two goals and four assists in nine games so far. He may see those totals increase versus the Ducks.He recorded a point in all five games of the season series, totaling a goal and six assists. Overall, he has six goals and nine assists in an 11-game points streak versus Anaheim, however, the Kings have gone just 3-4-4 in that span.Kopitar told the Los Angeles Times that the Ducks have nothing to hide when it comes to their style of play.I dont think there are any secrets to their game, by any means. They have a lot of good pieces. They play a physical game for sure, probably more so against us, because of that crosstown rivalry stuff, he saidIf goaltender Peter Budaj gets the start, hell try to avoid losing his third straight game. The journeyman turned away 50 of 53 shots, but the Kings (4-5-0) fell 1-0 to the Blues on Saturday and 3-0 to the Blackhawks on Sunday.Still, Budaj has enjoyed a rebirth this season, going 4-2-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average and .916 save percentage. Hes won all three games so far at Staples Center, allowing just seven goals on 72 shots.Just because of his experience at the American Hockey League level he was kind of a step ahead being able to read things, read releases, goaltender coach Bill Ranford told the Kings official website. Obviously at the NHL level everything happens a little bit quicker, shooters are a little better, so the detail part of his game has had to come to another level.Jonathan Quick is still expected to miss up to three months with a lower-body injury, but backup Jeff Zatkoff (groin) is scheduled to skate Tuesday, the Kings website reported.Anaheim (3-4-2) begins play in fifth place in the Pacific Division, one spot ahead of its Southern California rival.The games are heavy games, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle told the Times of the rivalry with Los Angeles. If you dont come prepared to play a physical brand of hockey, you can get lost on the ice surface against this hockey club.And as has been the case for the Ducks for many years, their scoring success has been paced by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.Getzlaf leads Anaheim with seven assists and eight points while Perry is tied with Andrew Cogliano for the team high with four goals and also tied with Sami Vatanen for the team high with six points.Overall, Getzlafs production has slipped in recent seasons. The 31-year-old center had a career-high 87 points in 2013-14, but followed with 70 two seasons ago and 63 last season.Hes posted just one goal in his last six games against Los Angeles, however, his 19 goals in 60 games versus the Kings are Getzlafs most against any opponent.In recent matchups against the Kings, though, Perry has largely been a non-factor. In the previous six meetings during the Freeway Face-off, Perry has three goals and one assist -- all during a 4-2 on Feb. 28 in Anaheim.Perry has 23 goals, including five game-winners, in 60 career games against Los Angeles.If the Ducks start John Gibson in net, hell be looking to end some recent poor play away from home. Gibson is 3-3-2 with a 2.55 GAA and .907 save percentage overall this season, but just 1-2-2 when on the road with two losses coming in overtime.Gibson is 4-2-0 with a 2.19 GAA and .920 save percentage in six career games against Los Angeles.The Kings on Monday recalled veteran defenseman Rob Scuderi from Ontario of the American Hockey League after putting fellow defenseman Brayden McNabb on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. But the 37-year-old Scuderi, a Stanley Cup winner Los Angeles in 2012, was reassigned Tuesday. Cincinnati Reds Pro Shop . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Custom Cincinnati Reds Jerseys . The recently retired Stern was elected Friday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be enshrined with the class of 2014 on Aug. https://www.cheapredsjerseys.us/ . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. Cincinnati Reds Gear . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. Cheap Reds Jerseys .C. at the helm of the top team in the Eastern Conference. His tenure as the GM in Vancouver was all too brief. Though he led the Canucks to what was then a franchise record-shattering campaign in just his second season, Nonis was gone and replaced one year later. NEW YORK -- James Harden and the Houston Rockets spent plenty of energy trying to knock off the champs. They had more than enough left a night later.Harden had 30 points and 15 assists, and Houston routed the New York Knicks 118-99 on Wednesday night.Were a special group and were fairly new, Harden said, so the more were going to continue to build and do things and play the right way no matter who were playing, the better off well be.The NBAs leader coming into the day with 11.8 assists per game, Harden toyed with the Knicks defense, setting up teammates for lobs or open 3-pointers as the Rockets easily bounced back from a 128-120 loss in Cleveland on Tuesday.Eric Gordon added 21 points for Houston, which has won seven straight at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks havent defeated the Rockets at home since Jan. 26, 2009, so long ago that their coach was current Houston coach Mike DAntoni.Harden also grabbed six rebounds, a night after he had 41 points and 15 assists. And the Rockets got a boost from their bench, particularly Montrezl Harrell, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds.Those guys helped us keep going and then James is James, DAntoni said. Hes really good and I think he can play every night.Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points for the Knicks, who besides their poor defense also heard loud boos for their rebounding and turnovers in a dismal performance.If we dont start playing defense, were going to keep getting smacked like this, guard Derrick Rose said. It comes with effort. It comes with everybody being on the same page.The Knicks were also playing for the second straight night, but only they appeared to have tired legs. Houston quickly extended a 33-25 lead after one quarter into double digits and was ahead 68-51 at halftime.Gordon opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to make it a 20-point game and Harden closed it with another 3 that sent the Rockets to the fourth quarter with a 100-78 lead.TIP-INSRockeets: C Nene sat out to rest on the second night of the Rockets back-to-back.dddddddddddd ... DAntoni went 121-167 with the Knicks from 2008 until resigning in March 2012.Knicks: New York has lost 21 of the last 23 meetings with Houston. ... Rose and Courtney Lee scored 16 points each.DEKKER HITS THE DECKSam Dekker was headed for what would have been a breakaway basket when he stumbled and fell near the free throw line, the ball bouncing off the court, then off his face and out of bounds. Dekker went to the court again moments later after Kyle OQuinn blocked his shot.HORNACEK IN HOUSTON?Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, after being fired in Phoenix, interviewed for the Houston job last spring before the Rockets hired DAntoni. With Harden in place and believing Ryan Anderson would sign there, Hornacek was interested. Obviously the pieces theyve added have made them dynamic on the offensive end, Hornacek said. Theyre going to be hard to stop and so when you look around at jobs and they call you and want to talk, that was great.CHICAGO IS HIS KIND OF TOWNRose was hoping the World Series went to the Cubs, who had his son, 3-year-old Derrick Jr., throw out a first pitch earlier this season. On Friday, the Chicago native will be hoping to beat the Bulls in his first game against his former team. He expects a mixed reception from fans. I know Im going to get some boos here and there but its all part of the game, its all part of the sport, he said. Its not going to affect the way I play or how badly I want to win that game.UP NEXTRockets: Visit Atlanta on Saturday to continue five-game trip with visit to former Houston center Dwight Howard. The Hawks have won the last five meetings.Knicks: Visit Chicago on Friday in first trip back to the United Center for former Bulls All-Stars Rose and Joakim Noah. ' ' '