Three more to go; still lots to be decided.
We’ve now reached the final week of this year’s NHL regular season, and the Kings fate is still up in the air. The group has fought their way into the playoff discussion over the past few weeks via a 6-1-3 record over the last ten games. They’re also carrying a four-game winning streak into tonight’s matchup vs. the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.
There’s also a fly in the ointment, as LA is 0-3 vs. Seattle this season. Can coach DJ Smith and crew solve this riddle and capture a fifth straight victory? Well, all-time, the Kraken are 10-7-1 against Los Angeles. However, they’re sub-.500 at home vs. the Kings, with a 3-4-1 mark.
Big picture, it’s all about the points. While LA’s magic number to clinch a Western Conference wild card spot continues to shrink by the day, nothing has really been decided in the Pacific Division either. Certainly, some things have to go their way in a few matchups between other teams (like tonight’s Preds-Sharks game), yet many things are actually in the Kings control.
For one, win out. These next three contests are all against opponents who will miss the postseason. Add in the fact Los Angeles has been better on the road this season, and that starts to tilt the conversation in their direction.
Then there’s the scheduling. Tonight kicks off a back-to-back, which means Smith will likely use both goaltenders. Anton Forsberg has been carrying the team on his back for a week now, but Darcy Kuemper will need to somehow find his game if the team is going to win out.
Which game goes to Kuemper is an interesting debate. Some NHL coaches prefer to play their ‘better’ goalie against the weaker competition; thus, giving them their team the greatest odds of at least two points — and then rolling the dice in the other game. Does Smith opt to do that here?
Statistically Speaking
— Adrian Kempe has five points over his last four games at Climate Pledge Arena, dating back to Dec. 16, 2023, while Alex Laferriere has goals in each of his last two visits to the Pacific Northwest, dating back to April 15, 2025.
— Artemi Panarin skates into action tonight fresh off scoring his ninth goal and 26th point in his 23rd game as a member of the Kings on Saturday against Edmonton. His 26 points since being acquired by the Kings (Feb. 4) are tied for the eighth-most points recorded through a player’s first 23 games with the organization, alongside Craig Conroy, Jozef Stumpel, and Rick Tocchet.
— Anton Forsberg turned aside all 27 shots faced by the Oilers on Saturday for his third shutout of the season, tying his career-high, and 11th of his career. Per NHL PR, Forsberg is the fourth Kings netminder in the last 10 years to record three shutouts in his first season with the franchise, joining David Rittich (1 in 2023-24), Cam Talbot (3 in 2023-24) and Darcy Kuemper (3 in 2017-18).
— Only Brett Kulak (20 GP), Rasmus Andersson (19 GP) and Evan Bouchard (19 GP) have played more games against the Kraken since their inception in the League than Trevor Moore (18 GP) and Cody Ceci (18 GP).
— Seattle’s Bobby McMann has scored in eight out of 14 games since joining the Kraken around the Trade Deadline. He can become the fastest Kraken skater to score 10 goals with the franchise – the current mark is held by Jared McCann (17 GP), according to NHL Stats.
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Kraken
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Panarin – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Byfield – Laferriere
Armia – Laughton – Wright
Malott/Joseph – Helenius – Ward
Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Ceci
Forsberg (starter)
Kuemper
Likely scratches: (F) Malott, Turcotte and (D) Moverare
Injured Reserve: Fiala, Kuzmenko (injury status updates here)
How to Watch the Game
Puck drop is set for 6:30 pm Pacific Time and will be televised by FanDuel Sports. Additionally, a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app.
More on the Kings’ changing TV situation for next season can be found here.
Across the Ice
Seattle is coming off a 4-1 victory over Calgary on Saturday. Here’s how they lined up in that matchup:
McMann – Beniers – Eberle
Schwartz – Stephenson-Kakko
J.McCann – Catton – Gaudreau
Winterton – Fisker Molgaard – Melanson
Dunn – Larsson
Mahura – Montour
Evans – Oleksiak
Daccord
On This Day in Kings History
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