With less than one week remaining in the NHL’s 2024-25 regular-season, the Kings will host the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena, for what amounts to their penultimate home game before the playoffs begin.
Distilling the pregame storylines down to the finest element, it all comes down to who will LA coach Jim Hiller start in goal?
On one hand, the Kings are 3-7-0 against the Avs over their last ten head-to-head matchups. When looking at the larger picture, LA is getting set to play four games in six days, including a back-to-back set on the road coming Monday and Tuesday — beginning with a key matchup vs. the Oilers.
Home ice advantage in the playoffs is still up for grabs, and Hiller will want Kuemper both rested and locked in for Game 83 (expected to be played Sunday, April 20).
Resting Kuemper today would set up a likely scenario where he then starts Monday in Edmonton, followed by Thursday against Calgary in the team’s season finale. It would give Kuemper multiple days off in between his next few starts, without letting him sit too long and lose some rhythm.
On the flip side, Colorado is expected to sit out Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Josh Manson, and a few other players. With a depleted Avs roster, would it be time to play Kuemper and go for the ‘easier’ two points, something that would help get the Kings closer to locking in home ice?
While that might sound good on paper, it could throw things off for Kuemper. He’s the expected starter on Monday, and the coaching staff likely wouldn’t want him off for nearly a week before the playoffs begin on Sunday… so, that would mean David Rittich would only be giving Kuemper one night off between now and then (the game in Seattle on Monday).
Following Thursday’s win over Anaheim, Hiller was asked if he had a goalie rotation in mind for this stretch of games, and didn’t tip his hand one bit.
“It’s game by game, day by day,” said LA’s bench boss. “It depends how people are feeling, or how Kuemps is feeling I guess, more than anything. How much work he’s getting; he was good the second half of the game, we didn’t give him too much work tonight. That that always helps. But yeah, we will figure that out as we go.”
Hiller will address the media at 11:45am today. That should be the next opportunity to uncover some information about his plans.
When it comes to the rest of LA’s lineup, the status of many of key contributors remains unknown. Drew Doughty and Joel Edmundson have sat out back-to-back games, and very well could be down once again today. Alex Turcotte was said to be closer to returning, yet he hasn’t drawn back in either. None of this is said to be much of a concern, as all three are expected back in time for the postseason.
Priority one for this group is to earn home ice in the postseason. Beyond that, it’s about also remaining healthy and available. With a fourth straight postseason series coming up against the Oilers, it will be an all hands on deck affair, and the Kings will need every weapon at their disposal if they are to finally leap the hurdle that is the Oilers.
Statistically Speaking
— Forward Andrei Kuzmenko has recorded 10 points (3G, 7A) in his last six games, and has accumulated 13 points (5G, 8A) in 13 games played at Crypto.com Arena since joining the Kings.
— With a pair of assists on Thursday vs. Anaheim, defenseman Mikey Anderson set new single season career-high at 22 points (6G, 16A).
— Defenseman Brandt Clarke is set to skate in his 100th career NHL game Saturday afternoon, which would make him the seventh blueliner, and 16th skater overall, selected in the 2021 NHL Draft to reach the mark.
Two More Goalie Notes
Today’s matchup in Downtown Los Angeles isn’t the only important game for the Kings organization on the docket. Their top two goaltending prospects are expected to be in action, as well, for a pair of significant games with different stakes.
Hampton Slukynsky will get the start for Western Michigan in the college hockey championship vs. Boston University. That game can be seen on ESPN2 at 4:30pm. More info can be found here:
Meanwhile, up in San Jose, Carter George is expected to make his AHL debut with the Ontario Reign. More on his situation can be found here:
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Avs
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
tentative as of 9:00 a.m.
Kuzmenko – Kopitar – Kempe
Foegele – Danault – Moore
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Malott – Helenius – Lewis
Anderson – Clarke
Gavrikov – Spence
Moverare – Burroughs
Rittich (starter)
Kuemper
Likely scratches: (F) Thomas and (D) Doughty, Edmundson
Injured: Turcotte (day-to-day, upper body), Jeannot (out for extended time period)
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 1:00 pm Pacific Time and will be televised by ESPN+ / HULU. Additionally, a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app (which is the new home for Kings radio this season, they’ve moved off of the iHeart platform).
More on the ongoing TV situation here.
For those live in attendance, the LA Kings Booster Club will offer their popular ‘Puck for a Buck’ contest — featuring Anze Kopitar for this game. Just $1 could win you an autographed puck from an NHL star. Visit their table outside sections 317-318 on the upper concourse for more information.
Across the Ice
Colorado is coming off a 4-1 defeat to Vancouver on Thursday. Here is how they could potentially line up tonight:
Wood – Nelson – Nichushkin
Kiviranta – Coyle – Necas
Kelly – Drury – O’Connor
Lehkonen – Wagner – Vesey
Toews – Aamodt
Girard – Malinski
Middleton – Johnson
Blackwood
On This Day in Kings History
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