Last season, the Kings faced all of the other 31 NHL teams. They claimed at least one victory against 28 clubs, only three opponents were perfect against Jim Hiller’s squad. Pittsburgh was one of those teams, they beat LA in both contests, once in their home building and once at Crypto.com Arena.
This year’s Penguins squad was predicted to be one of the worst in the league, while the Kings are projected by most to be a playoff team for the fifth straight season. This will only be Game 4 for Pittsburgh and Game 5 for LA, so we’re a long way off from finding out if either of those assumptions are true.
At least one thing is true, though, after four consecutive games against Western Conference powerhouses, the Kings will be facing their first opponent out of the East. In fact, when Sidney Crosby and the Penguins arrive in town on Thursday night, it will be the first of two straight home contests against teams from the other Conference.
A 1-2-1 start by the Kings is nothing to be overly excited about if your Hiller, yet if there is a bright side to the mediocre record, it’s that there seems to be some simple fixes to LA’s problems so far this season.
Discipline.
Los Angeles has taken far too many penalties in their first four contests, and it’s costing them games. Averaging over five penalties a game is not a mark Hiller wants his club to have. Unfortunately, a struggling penalty kill has accompanied the additional penalties. The Kings have been shorthanded 5-on-3 already three times this season, and each of them has resulted in a goal against. Going back to Monday in Minnesota, LA conceded three power-play goals in the first period alone.
At 5-on-5, the Kings have actually been quite good. Keeping the game there is a huge boost for this team; look for an emphasis on that point throughout tonight’s contest.
On the lineup front, several things are up in the air at the moment. Both Anze Kopitar and Darcy Kuemper did not practice yesterday and have been ruled day-to-day with lower-body injuries. If Kuemper sits out (which is presumed to be the case), sliding in Forsberg is an easy fix. However, if Kopitar misses the game, things will get tricky. Realistically, Alex Turcotte would most likely play an elevated role in that scenario and Sammy Helenius would draw in for his season debut. Where exactly the former would slot in could be interesting, while the latter almost surely would be on the fourth line.
Of course, if the captain decides he is available, not much will change from Monday’s alignment.
Statistically Speaking
— If you were wondering who those other teams were to hold perfect records against the Kings last season, they were the Flames (3-0) and the Maple Leafs (2-0).
— Crosby has faced the Kings 24 times in his career, recording 25 points (8G, 17A).
— Mike Stothers, former Reign coach and Calder Cup winner with the Manchester Monarchs, returns to SoCal in his new capacity as assistant coach with the Pens.
— Adrian Kempe has a five-game goal streak vs. Pittsburgh, dating back to Feb. 11, 2023, scoring nine times in that span.
— With his helper Monday night in Minnestoa, Kopitar became the fourth player age 38 or older in NHL history to record a season-opening assist streak of at least four games.
— Brian Dumoulin, who won back-to-back Stanley Cups as a member of the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
— In the Kings last 10 outings against the Penguins at Crypto.com Arena, the Kings have a 6-2-2 record and have outscored their 1967 expansion cousins 32-23 in that span, dating to March 7, 2015.
What You May Have Missed
— TRADE ALERT: Kings Acquire Copley From Lightning, Updates on Three Goalies LINK
— Kings Of The Podcast Ep. 247: Injuries Catching Up in LA, Plus Trade Details LINK
— Reign Recap: Thomas and Chromiak Score in Ontario’s First Victory of the Season LINK
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Penguins
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Kuzmenko – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Armia
Foegele – Danault – Moore
Malott – Turcotte – Laferriere
Dumoulin – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Anderson – Ceci
Forsberg
Copley
Likely scratches: (F) Helenius, (D) Moverare and (G) Kuemper
Injured Reserve: Burroughs (eligible to come off when ready)
Injured: Perry (initially reported as 6-8 weeks, , and he’s already back skating)
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm Pacific Time and will be televised locally by FanDuel Sports. Additionally, a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app.
Want to win autographed and framed photos of Jonathan Quick or Luc Robitaille? How about signed pucks from Adrian Kempe and Mikey Anderson? Head over to the Royal Army booth outside section 303 on the upper concourse. They’re doing a special raffle tonight, so stop by and check it all out. Be sure to tell them Mayor’s Manor sent you too!
Across the Ice
Pittsburgh is coming off a 4-3 defeat against Anaheim on Tuesday. Here’s how they lined up in that matchup:
Rakell – Crosby – Rust
Mantha – Malkin – Brazeau
Novak – Kindel – Tomasino
Dewar – Lizotte – Hallander
Wotherspoon – Karlsson
Shea – Letang
Dumba – Clifton
Jarry
Their play-by-play guy Josh Getzoff fainted at Honda Center but appears to be doing better.
On This Day in Kings History
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