It’s flat out silly how dominant the Kings have been on home ice this season. The word dominance doesn’t even do it justice, it has been unbelievable. Not only does LA have the best home record among NHL clubs, they are 17-1-1 in their last 19 contests at Crypto.com Arena. Tonight, they will look for more of the same when the Canucks come to town to cap off what’s been a quick three-game homestand.
Two things that stand out from Monday’s victory are the power play and Trevor Moore. Not much has gone wrong for Jim Hiller’s group this season, but both Moore and the man advantage are on that small list. Through injuries and inconsistent scoring, the organization has been patient with the Thousand Oaks native. However, vs. Vegas, not only did Moore record two goals, one of them came on the power play. If those two things start rolling from here, a Pacific Division title is not out of the question.
From a points percentage perspective (.627), the Kings have leapfrogged Edmonton to sit in second place. Although five points back of first place Vegas, LA also holds three games in hand — and an advantage in the head-to-head matchups this season. The push for home-ice in the playoffs is here and the Trade Deadline continues to loom, coming a week from this Friday. Will GM Rob Blake make a significant move, a depth move, or hold pat with what he has (and what has largely been working this season)?
We’re not expecting any lineup changes tonight, other than David Rittich starting in goal, which was reported earlier this morning.
Statistically Speaking
— On Monday, Quinton Byfield became the fifth youngest Kings player to record four assists in one game at 22 years and 189 days old.
— Adrian Kempe has six points (3G, 3A) in his last four matchups against the Vancouver Canucks, dating back to March 25, 2024.
— With a pair of goals on Monday night, forward Trevor Moore became the sixth California-born skater to reach the 200-point mark in League history.
— Darcy Kuemper has eight straight wins on home ice, tying Kelly Hrudey all time.
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Canucks
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Turcotte – Kopitar – Kempe
Foegele – Danault – Moore
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Jeannot – Lewis
Anderson – Gavrikov
Edmundson – Doughty
Moverare – Spence
Clarke
Rittich (starter)
Kuemper
Likely scratches: (F) Thomas and (D) Burroughs
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm Pacific Time and will be televised locally by TNT. 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 Jordan Spence 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
Vancouver is coming off a 2-1 defeat to Utah on Sunday. Here is how they lined up for that contest:
O’Connor – Chytil – Boeser
Debrusk – Pettersson – Sherwood
Joshua – Suter – Garland
Hoglander – Blueger – Bains
Pettersson – Myers
Pettersson – Hronek
Forbort – Mancin
Silvos
Note: Their captain is a gametime decision. Given what an important player Quinn Hughes is to the Canucks lineup, this is something to keep an eye on.
On This Day in Kings History
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