Thus far on their road trip, the Kings have collected five out of a possible six points. In the words of legendary New Yorker, Larry David, that’s “pretty, pretty good.”
Dare we say they’re getting hot?
Ever since the Kings decided to make a coaching change, things have seemed a little bit different. It’s been said before that new bench boss DJ Smith demands a more physical, intense playing style out of his teams. For LA, the last two weeks looks somewhat like a new group, and it’s starting to show on the scoreboard.
Sure, it’s only been three games on this road trip. But a 2-0-1 start to a critical five-game stretch is nothing to scoff at during crunch time of the regular season. When the puck drops tonight between the Kings and Devils, the away team will be on the hunt to track down a few teams ahead of them in the Pacific Division. Yet, the story remains largely the same: must-win.
Now back in a playoff spot, the Kings will look to keep it rolling. Along with those two points on everybody’s mind, there is also a chase for history taking place. Anze Kopitar is one point away from tying Marcel Dionne for the most points in franchise history. It’s a remarkable feat, and one that the entire organization is ready to celebrate once it happens on the ice.
Fortunately for Kopitar, that moment should come sooner rather than later, considering he has Artemi Panarin on his wing — who has been stacking up points himself since joining the Kings after the Olympic break. Overall, it will be a special moment for Kopitar, his family, the organization, and the city of Los Angeles once he stands alone at the top of the mountain.
But, for the future Hall of Famer and leader of the team, you can be sure he cares much more about earning another victory tonight.
Statistically Speaking
— Chatham, N.J., native Alex Laferriere has three points in five career games played against the New Jersey Devils.
— Kopitar scored his eighth goal of the season and 448th of his career last night on Long Island to mark his 1,306th career NHL point and move one point shy of tying Marcel Dionne for the most in LA Kings history.
— More on Kopitar: His first-period goal last night at UBS Arena also marked his 608th career road point, surpassing Marcel Dionne (for the most road points in LA Kings history.
— Last night’s victory over the New York Islanders was the third regular-season win on Friday the 13th in LA Kings history, following a 5-0 win over Boston on Oct. 13, 2000, and a 6-5 victory at Vancouver on Oct. 13, 1989. The Kings have won twice in the postseason on Friday the 13th, most recently on Friday, June 13, 2014, when Alec Martinez scored in double overtime against the New York Rangers to clinch the Kings’ second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
— Drew Doughty is slated to take the ice for his 1,263rd career regular season NHL game tonight at Prudential Center, tying longtime New Jersey Devil Scott Niedermayer (1,263 GP) for the 27th most games played by a defenseman in NHL history. Doughty and Niedermayer captured an Olympic gold medal together with Team Canada in 2010.
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Islanders
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Panarin – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Byfield – Laferriere
Turcotte – Laughton – Wright
Malott – Helenius – Ward
Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Ceci
Forsberg (starter)
Kuemper
Likely scratches: (F) Joseph and (D) Moverare
Injured Reserve: Armia, Fiala, Kuzmenko (injury status updates here)
How to Watch the Game
Puck drop is set for 4:00 pm Pacific Time and will be televised by FanDuel Sports. Additionally, a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app.
Across the Ice
New Jersey is coming off a 5-4 loss to Calgary on Thursday. Here’s how they lined up in that matchup:
Meier – Hischier – Mercer
Bratt – J Hughes – Brown
Gritsyuk – Glass – Hameenaho
Cotter – Bjugstad – Tsyplakov
Siegenthaler – Hamilton
L Hughes – Kovacevic
Dillon – Nemec
Markstrom
On This Day in Kings History
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