Even though it’s been the same story all season, today feels very, very different.
Los Angeles is coming off yet another heartbreaking loss on home ice. In an afternoon where the Kings had a chance to make things interesting in the Pacific Division, they failed to find a way to beat Buffalo despite being tied late in the third period.
However, it’s onto the next city, as tonight is officially the most important game of the season for these Kings. Interim coach DJ Smith and his squad will have to quickly turn the page and prepare to take on the Utah Mammoth in a pivotal game with significant playoff implications. It is a true four-point game, with the Kings attempting to hunt down the Mammoth in the wild card race.
A little further up the standings, the Pacific Division is an absolute train wreck. Besides Anaheim, who is starting to pull away in the division, nobody else seems to want to win lately. Connor McDavid recently referred to it as a “pillow fight,” and that sums things up pretty well. Both Edmonton and Vegas have big, big problems. Unfortunately for the Kings, they’ve failed to help themselves most nights, as well.
Back to tonight, goaltender Darcy Kuemper is expected to get the nod in net, and Alex Turcotte is an option to draw back in at forward. Without a morning skate, the lineup below is a projection. Smith is expected to address the media about an hour before warm-ups. We’ll have to see if Armia and/or Kempe are well enough to play in back-to-back games.
It’s pretty simple at this point. The Kings need to win. They don’t need one point in extra time; they need a pair. A victory tonight puts them two points behind Vegas for third in the division, yet they have to go out and take it.
Statistically Speaking
— Kuemper has backstopped the Kings to a perfect 4-0-0 all-time record against the Mammoth, posting a .915 save-percentage (SV%) and a 2.25 goals-against average (GAA).
— In the Kings’ last visit to Delta Center on Dec. 8, 2025, forward Joel Armia recorded his first multi-goal outing as a member of the Kings and the 12th such performance of his career.
— Drew Doughty has two goals and five points in three career games vs. Utah, while fellow blueliner Joel Edmundson has five points over four career games against the NHL’s newest team.
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Sabres
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
Kuemper (starter)
Forsberg
Likely scratches: (F) Armia, Joseph and (D) Moverare
Injured Reserve: Fiala, Kuzmenko (injury status updates here)
How to Watch the Game
Puck drop is set for 6:00 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
Utah is coming off a 4-1 loss to Anaheim on Friday. Here’s how they lined up in that matchup:
Keller – Schmaltz – Crouse
Peterka – Cooley – Guenther
McBain – Hayton – Carcone
Kerfoot – Stenlund – Yamamoto
Sergachev -Weegar
Schmidt – Marino
Cole – Durzi
Vejmelka
On This Day in Kings History
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