Some regular season games matter more than others; and Monday night’s tilt between the Kings and Golden Knights is one of those games. Vegas arrives in LA seven points ahead of coach Jim Hiller’s squad in the Pacific Division standings, yet the home team also holds three games in hand.
For the past several years, Sin City’s hockey club has been a benchmark game and this season is no different. In 2024-25, Hiller and the Kings believe they’re better equipped for postseason play, with tonight offering a possible first round playoff preview. The two rivals haven’t met since a pair of games in October, where the home team won each time. Vegas throttled their way to a 6-1 victory on Oct. 22, only to see LA claim a 6-3 win of their own just a week later at Crypto.com Arena.
Both teams are 5-3-2 over their last 10 games. Yet, the Kings have been dominant at home, posting an 18-3-2 record thus far — including a win over Utah on Saturday, their first game following the league’s two-week break.
While defenseman Drew Doughty was away winning the 4 Nations Faceoff, one of his Canadian teammates was Vegas forward Mark Stone. The veteran blueliner told us, he’s already put all of that ‘pride of country brotherhood’ behind him.
Read the full interview below, where Doughty address a number of different topics — including the possibility of that being the last time he’ll play for Team Canada:
One thing to keep an eye on is if Hiller is ready to reunite Doughty with Mikey Anderson on the top pairing.
Statistically Speaking
— Kevin Fiala skates into tonight’s clash fresh off his 120th career multi-point night (1G, 1A) on Saturday. Since being acquired from Minnesota, Fiala has scored two points or more in 53 games for the Kings,
tied for the most such performances on the team in that span with Anze Kopitar. Fiala has scored eight points (6G, 2A) in his last five games.
— In the two clubs’ last meeting at Crypto.com Arena, Fiala scored on the power play and added an assist. For his career, he has 10 goals and 22 points in 27 career games vs. Vegas.
— In his first game back in a Kings uniform since helping Team Canada capture the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off Championship, Doughty notched his first goal of the season Saturday night vs. Utah. It came as part of his 16th three-point performance (1G, 2A) of his career. Only Steve Duchesne (19) and Rob Blake (17) have more three-point games among defensemen in Kings history than Doughty’s 16.
— Second-year pro Alex Laferriere continues to impress the analytics community:
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Golden Knights
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
Kuemper (starter)
Rittich
Likely scratches: (F) Thomas and (D) Burroughs
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm Pacific Time and will be televised locally by FanDuel Sports Network. 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 Trevor Moore 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
Vegas is coming off a 3-1 victory over Vancouver on Saturday. Here is how they lined up for that contest:
Tanner Pearson has been activated off IR and is available tonight.
On This Day in Kings History
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