Don’t look now, but Jim Hiller’s Kings team may finally have a little momentum on their side.
Sure, Tuesday’s win was just one game — they’ll need to rack up a few more victories to settle the water a bit more. However, goaltender Darcy Kuemper returned to the lineup last time out, and that played a key role in the entire group looking more like themselves in that contest.
When they return to the ice on Thursday in Dallas, Hiller is expected to have captain Anze Kopitar penciled in on LA’s top line. Again, another huge boost to a squad looking for some positivity early in their season.
The goaltending had been among the worst in the NHL for a few weeks. Kuemper has now returned and may have shored that issue up. Faceoffs have been another concern this season. Kopitar sits second in the league in faceoff wins. Thus, he should help solve another issue.
Does this guarantee the Kings will beat the Stars? No, of course not.
The gauntlet of tough opponents continues. After already facing a handful of Western Conference powerhouses, the Kings will see another one tonight. Even so, LA opened their current five-game road trip with a winning formula — fundamental, tight checking, solid defense with some great goaltending. Even if it leaned a little towards boring hockey, a rinse and repeat performance wouldn’t be a bad thing at this point. As long as it results in two more points.
Adrian Kempe sealed the deal in overtime and he’s been off to a hot start thus far. However, here’s an interesting stat heading into tonight. The Swedish sniper has just four points (2G, 2A) in 19 career games vs. Dallas. That’s his lowest production against any team he’s faced a minimum of 15 times. Those numbers just don’t align with what Kempe normally does. Thus, that’s something to keep an eye on.
There’s also Corey Perry, who made his Kings debut two nights ago. He changes the dynamic for Hiller’s squad on multiple fronts. Not only is he known to plant himself in front of the net and cause chaos at 5-on-5, but also with the man advantage. He also gives LA a new look up front with an extra edge to his game. It’s what every team wants come playoff time, and the Kings can benefit from his skill set right here and now.
Perry was a longtime Kings nemesis during his 10-plus year run in Anaheim, but it was Dallas where he first earned his ‘hired gun’ label. He signed with the Stars for the 2019-20 season and helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final. Since then, he’s had stops in Montreal, Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Edmonton. As he showed on Tuesday, he’s still effective in his role, even at age 40.
Statistically Speaking
— If everything holds as planned, tonight will mark the first game this season where Hiller is able to start a game with all 18 players who were penciled into LA’s lineup over the summer.
— Quick note on Brandt Clarke’s minutes. He’s tied for the fourth-most minutes among defensemen at even strength. Obviously, Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson lead the way. Then, Brian Dumoulin sits third on the list, which makes sense given his recent assignment on the top pair. Clarke is next at 15:30.
— Andrei Kuzmenko has six points (2G, 4A) in five career matchups with Dallas, including an active three-game point streak at American Airlines Center.
— Warren Foegele has goals in each of his last three outings against the Stars, dating back to Dec. 4, 2024.
— How good has Kempe been for the Kings? Since his NHL debut in Feb. 2017, no Kings skater has scored more than Kempe.
— The Kings went 2-1-0 against the Stars last season. However, Dallas has earned points in eight of their last 10 contests against LA, holding a 7-2-1 mark. The Stars have also recorded wins in their last six games played vs. the Kings at American Airlines Center (6-0-0).
— Stars forward (and SoCal native) Jason Robertson has 16 points in 11 career games against the Kings. In fact, he has recorded a point in all but two games against Los Angeles and holds a plus-minus rating of plus-8. Robertson’s 1.45 points per game against the Kings is the best mark in the NHL among players to have played Los Angeles at least five times.
What You May Have Missed
— NHL Radio Replay: Talking Kings Goaltending, Defensive Pairings, and Other Concerns LINK
— Kings Of The Podcast Ep. 249 with John Kelly, LA’s New PxP Voice LINK
— Kings Of The Podcast Ep. 248: Rob Blake Returns, Opens Up About His Past and Future LINK
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Stars
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Kuzmenko – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Foegele – Danault – Moore
Armia – Turcotte – Perry
Dumoulin – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Anderson – Ceci
Kuemper
Forsberg
Likely scratches: (F) Helenius and (D) Moverare
Injured Reserve: Burroughs
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 6:00 pm Pacific Time and will be televised locally by ESPN+. Additionally, a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app.
Across the Ice
Dallas is coming off a 5-1 defeat against Columbus on Tuesday. Here’s how they lined up in that matchup:
Seguin – Hintz – Rantanen
Robertson – Johnston – Bourque
Hryckowian – Steel – Blackwell
Erne – Faksa – Bastian
Lindell – Heiskanen
Harley – Lyubushkin
Bishel – Petrovic
Oettinger
On This Day in Kings History
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