Putting aside the bevy of news over the past 24 hours, there are still a handful of fresh storylines for coach Jim Hiller and the Kings to grapple with heading into their matchup tonight with the Red Wings.
For one, what was supposed to be the second half of a back-to-back set is no longer the case, due to the postponement last night in Columbus driven by dangerous weather conditions. Not only does that give this group fresher legs, but it also provided an unexpected practice day that they otherwise would not have had at this point of the road trip.
Additionally, captain Anze Kopitar skated with the group in practice, further suggesting his return to the lineup is getting closer. Although it won’t be tonight, optimism continues to swirl around the future Hall of Famer being ready to go soon. Obviously, that would provide Los Angeles with a gigantic boost in the faceoff circle, where they have struggled mightily in his absence.
Kings prospect Kenny Connors was also recalled yesterday. While the prevailing thought was the team needed a center to replace Alex Turcotte — who is said to be out day-to-day — indications are, the 22-year-old forward will likely not draw in tonight (yet is expected to play on the trip). Connors has proven to be a reliable two-way centerman for AHL Ontario this season and is fifth in scoring for the Reign. Considering his defensive acumen, as well, should see his transition to the NHL not be as challenging as it is for many young players.
There is also contract news. Taylor Ward signed a two-year extension with the Kings after impressing many since his call-up a few weeks ago. For his part, he has two goals and four points in nine games this season. Playing for a team in desperate need of scoring, Ward has filled in just fine while other regulars continue to work their way toward getting healthier.
Then there’s the opportunity that the Kings have tonight. It hasn’t happened enough this season, but a win in Detroit would give them a third consecutive victory — otherwise known as a mild winning streak (just don’t say it too loudly).
Yet, for that ball to get rolling, some areas still need to be cleaned up. In LA’s most recent win a few nights ago, common themes crept into the narrative. Once again, a two-goal lead slipped away. Then, a late lead was blown by a 6-on-5 empty net goal. It often feels like the same story, but with a slightly different ending. Basic statistics would suggest a team is bound to win at least a couple of games that go to the shootout, but that can’t be relied upon as a recipe for success.
The pattern of blown leads has to end. Of course, an easy answer to this problem would be to defend better with the lead. However, what if the team scored more, to the point where they aren’t relying on a one-goal lead with four minutes left in a game? Two-goal leads are not what they used to be in this league. There’s too much talent, too much speed, too much star power to rely on two-goal leads and then choose to take your foot off the gas.
What about the lineup? Hiller will have a decision to make regarding his group’s alignment tonight. Warren Foegele was a healthy scratch two nights ago and should be ready to draw back in. Assuming Connors doesn’t play, Joel Armia is the most likely candidate to fill in at center for Turcotte. The big Finn has seen his fair share of time in the faceoff dot over the past few weeks, something that has been an unexpected development in an already weird season.
Looking over his career stats, Armia has usually taken around 15 faceoffs per season (a miniscule number over 82 games, but not unusual for a winger by trade). His career high was 29 faceoffs back in 2018-19. This season, he’s already taken 38 faceoffs. Overall, we’re talking very small numbers here — including eight faceoffs over the past two games.
Statistically Speaking
— Kevin Fiala skates into Michigan with an active five-game road point streak (2G, 7A) against the Red Wings, dating back to Feb. 2020.
— Adrian Kempe has been clutch late in games this season. The future Olympian sits tied for second in the league in overtime goals with three, and tied for second in shootout goals with four.
— Trevor Moore scored his seventh goal of the season Saturday night in St. Louis, marking his 100th career NHL goal. He joins Auston Matthews (426), Jason Zucker (230) and Jason Robertson (198) as the only California-born skaters in NHL history with 100 career goals.
— Moore also notched his sixth career game-deicing shootout goal to tie Jarret Stoll for the third-most in franchise history, trailing only Dustin Brown (7) and Anze Kopitar (17).
— Drew Doughty is set to skate in his 40th career game against the Red Wings which would break a tie with Mattias Norstrom (39 GP) for the most games played versus Detroit by a blueliner in franchise history.
— Taylor Ward skates into the Motor City with goals in each of his last two games and has four points (2-2=4) in nine games since being recalled from Ontario (AHL) on Jan. 7.
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Red Wings
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Kempe – Laferriere– Perry
Moore – Byfield – Foegele
Fiala – Armia – Kuzmenko
Malott – Helenius – Ward
Anderson – Doughty
Dumoulin – Clarke
Moverare – Ceci
Kuemper (starter)
Forsberg
Likely scratches: (F) Connors and (D) Edmundson
Injured Reserve: Kopitar
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.
With the television landscape changing at a rapid pace, we have all the latest news regarding some current FanDuel issues here — including how some teams cancelling contracts impacts LA’s plans for the balance of their 2025-26 season.
Across the Ice
Detroit is coming off a 5-1 victory over Winnipeg on Saturday. Here’s how they lined up in that matchup:
Kasper – Larkin- Raymond
DeBrincat – Copp – Kane
Finnie – Compher – van Riemsdyk
Soderblom – Rasmussen – Appleton
Bernard-Docker – Seider
Sandin-Pellikka – Chiarot
Johansson – Hamonic
Talbot
On This Day in Kings History
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