Two games, four points, and less than 48 hours. It’s going to be over quickly.
After tomorrow night, the Kings will enter a three-week break for the Olympics. However, there’s still work to be done, as coach Jim Hiller is prepping his team for another back-to-back set to finish things off — beginning with a home contest against the Kraken later this evening.
It’s been a truly wild season up to this point. And through all the ups and downs, the Kings are in a prime position to take control of their destiny this week. Somehow, in this bizarre, crazy, confusing season, LA is just four points behind Vegas for first place in the Pacific Division (and they have a game in hand over the Golden Knights). A win tonight and tomorrow could see the Kings tied for first. It’s a statement that makes little sense on the surface.
To get there, the Kings will first need to bring some of their road work to home ice. Their 8-10-7 record at Crypto.com Arena is a far cry from last season’s dominance in front of their loyal SoCal fans. To make matters more challenging for the Kings, Mikey Anderson is not expected to be in the lineup after suffering an injury Sunday afternoon in Carolina.
Still, the word of the day is opportunity. First Seattle, then Vegas; where Hiller & Co. have an opportunity to get two crucial wins and cement themselves in a playoff spot before the league shuts down for international competition.
Statistically Speaking
— Adrian Kempe carries an active seven-game point streak into Wednesday’s game, dating back to Jan. 17 vs. Anaheim.
— Kevin Fiala is one of five skaters League-wide to have 20 or more points against the Seattle Kraken since the Pacific Division club joined the NHL in 2021-22.
— In the Kings’ last matchup against Seattle on Dec. 23, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena, forward Alex Laferriere recorded a single-game career-high nine shots on goal, the highest total by a team skater since Fiala (10 SOG) on Jan. 18, 2025, also against Seattle, at Climate Pledge Arena.
— Quinton Byfield’s 26 drawn penalties this season are the fifth-most among all NHL forwards, and sixth-most overall.
— Today is Andrei Kuzmenko’s 30th birthday.
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Kraken
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Moore – Kopitar – Armia
Perry – Laferriere – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Kuzmenko
Malott – Helenius – Ward
Dumoulin- Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Moverare – Ceci
Kuemper (starter)
Forsberg
Likely scratches: (F) Foegele and (D) Anderson
Injured Reserve: Turcotte
How to Watch the Game
Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm Pacific Time and will be televised by FanDuel Sports. Additionally, a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app.
With the television landscape changing at a rapid pace, we have all the latest news regarding some current FanDuel issues here — including how some teams cancelling contracts impacts LA’s plans for the balance of their 2025-26 season.
Across the Ice
Seattle is coming off a 4-2 loss to Anaheim on Tuesday. Here’s how they lined up in that matchup:
McCann – Beniers – Eberle
Schwartz – Stephenson – Tolvanen
Winterton – Wright – Kakko
Kartye – Gaudreau – Melanson
Dunn – Larsson
Oleksiak – Montour
Lindgren – Evans
Grubauer
On This Day in Kings History
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