After winning your first two preseason games by identical scores of 3-1, how do you improve? Shut the other team out. And that’s exactly what the Kings did on Wednesday night in Anaheim. With a veteran heavy lineup, including the 2025-26 debut for Anze Kopitar and Darcy Kuemper, LA absolutely stymied the Ducks at Honda Center.
Coach Jim Hiller had no problem with it either. Limiting the opposition to just 14 shots on goal and giving Kuemper a relatively easy night didn’t bother LA’s bench boss one bit.
“I thought he got plenty [of work],” Hiller said, followed by a chuckle. “We want to play as best as we can. We’d like to see him get as minimal work [as possible]. But he got some stuff at the end of third period; they came across the crease a couple times. I guess that was probably good for him.”
Meanwhile, it’s been forward Jeff Malott who is starting to get some real attention during camp. He’s played in all three preseason games and continues to find his way on to the scoresheet — adding another goal and assist in the Kings victory.
“Obviously, we liked him at the end of last year, we played him a fair amount,” noted Hiller. “He’s really a fit guy, but he put on about seven or eight pounds of muscle. I’m noticing some of that. I think he’s a strong guy to begin with, but I think he’s a little stronger out there. He has a lot of confidence. He’s playing really well, looks like an NHL player.”
For his part, Malott continues to downplay everything and take it all in stride.
“This has just been a great opportunity, to get three right out of the gate helps you hit your stride,” said the 29-year-old winger.
The big question now becomes, what’s next for three of the Kings prospects? All signs point to Liam Greentree not making the opening night roster — which was a longshot to begin with for the reasons explained here. Could he get another game (or even two) during preseason? It’s possible.
Young defensemen Henry Brzustewicz and Jared Woolley have most likely completed their time in training camp. Both are targeted for the OHL sooner rather than later, as neither came into camp with a clear path or even a reason to make the jump to NHL action at such a young age. However, their play has exceeded the level most thought they’d be at this month. In LA’s first preseason game, they played together as a pair, just like they will in London this season. Then, each had a second game while the other sat out. How did they respond to the increase in competition? Hiller weighed in:
Two days of practice await the Kings before that game on Saturday in Bakersfield. Until then, enjoy some game highlights from Wednesday’s win over the Ducks:
Pregame notes and lineups for both teams can be found in the article linked below.
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