Following a thrilling overtime win in Vegas on Wednesday night, the Kings will look to ride that emotional high as they get set to once again square off with a Western Conference powerhouse in Winnipeg.
It’s been two games of ups and downs thus far for Los Angeles. And head coach Jim Hiller has to be impressed with his team’s resilience and competitiveness, as LA has shown signs of being a very good team this season. However, there have also been several areas to clean up early on — such as the defense and game management. In both contests this past week, the Kings have not been able to keep up with their opponents for a full 60 minutes, despite them coming back to beat the Golden Knights in a shootout.
Heading into Saturday afternoon, discipline is going to be that much more critical against a Jets team with a lethal power play. Thus far, LA has taken far too many penalties; not a long-term recipe for success. It’s no surprise to see those short-handed situations as a major reason behind why Hiller hasn’t seen his team in any sort of sustained flow through two contests.
While it’s still too early to talk about individual stats, the Kings are eagerly waiting for sniper Adrian Kempe to find the scoresheet. Two scoreless games shouldn’t be reason for concern, yet with ongoing contract negotiations taking place between Kempe and the organization, both sides are likely hoping that doesn’t become a distraction to the player.
In net, look for Darcy Kuemper to get the nod once again; after getting the night off in Vegas on Wednesday, in what was the second half of a back-to-back.
Statistically Speaking
— Jeff Malott scored his first career NHL goal at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday by deflecting a shot from forward Joel Armia. Malott is the third skater in Kings history to score his first career goal against the Pacific Division rival Golden Knights and is the fourth Cornell University alumnus to score a goal for the Kings.
— Kempe enters tonight’s matchup with a four-game point streak against the Jets (3G, 4A) and has recorded three consecutive multi-point efforts against the club dating back to Nov. 11, 2024.
— Anze Kopitar has an active eight-game point streak (8G, 5A) against Winnipeg, dating back to Feb. 28, 2023. That streak is tied with Kirill Kaprizov for the longest active streak against the Jets.
— The Kings are 11-8-5 on the road all-time against this version of Winnipeg. Remember, the original Jets moved to Phoenix first and are now in Utah.
— Did you know… Wayne Gretzky played his final game as a member of the Kings in Winnipeg. Here are some behind the scenes pictures from that day.
What You May Have Missed
— Kings Coach Jim Hiller – ‘Brandt Clarke Has the Green Light’ LINK
Power of Three: Pros and Cons After First Two Kings Games LINK
— Kings 2025-26 Salary Cap Situation LINK
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Jets
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Kuzmenko – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Foegele – Danault – Moore
Malott – Turcotte – Armia
Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Ceci
Kuemper
Forsberg
Likely scratches: (F) Helenius and (D) Moverare
Injured Reserve: Burroughs (eligible to come off when ready)
Injured: Perry (initially reported as 6-8 weeks, , and he’s already back skating)
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 10:00 am Pacific Time and will be televised locally by FanDuel Sports. Additionally, a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app.
Across the Ice
Winnipeg is coming off a 5-4 defeat against Dallas on Thursday. Here’s how they lined up in that matchup:
Connor – Scheifele – Vilardi
Nyquist – Toews – Chibrikov
Niederreiter – Namestnikov – Iafallo
Koepke – Barron – Pearson
Morrissey – DeMelo
Fleury – Pionk
Stanley – Schenn
Hellebuyck
On This Day in Kings History
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