Will this week’s homestand end with a perfect record or a trap game? These are the two options tonight as coach Jim Hiller and his Kings welcome the Predators to town for a Saturday showdown at Crypto.com Arena.
Coming off four straight wins, the obvious game plan for LA is to simply keep things going by attempting to replicate what they did just two nights ago against the best team in the league. Thursday may have been the Kings most complete effort all season, showcasing what this year’s team is truly capable of when they’re on their game.
A quick look at tonight’s matchup may appear like there are two easy points on the board for the Kings, but not so fast. It’s not all about the standings, though. In addition to looking like world beaters some night, this same group has also struggled against teams they should have easily handled quite often this season. If they don’t come out with the same focus and intensity they had vs. the Capitals, they may be in trouble tonight.
“We were ready tonight,” Hiller said during his postgame scrum on Thursday, when asked a potential trap game vs. Nashville. “Not that we weren’t ready for the Islanders [on Tuesday] because I thought we had a good [first] period, but it’s just sustaining it sometimes. It’s losing your focus and maybe relaxing a little bit. Think, ‘Oh, okay. This might be a little bit easier.’ The league is too good. As soon as you do that, you get off it, and you’re step behind. Then, the other team starts giving it to you — like the Islanders did. So, we’ll reference that Islanders game as we get ready to play on Saturday.”
Any lineup changes would be a bit shocking tonight, considering the winning streak and how well the team has played coming out of last week’s Trade Deadline. This all points to Darcy Kuemper getting yet another start on home ice, where he has been dominant all season long.
Statistically Speaking
— Quinton Byfield has four goals and seven points (4G, 3A) in nine career games against the Predators.
— With his goal Thursday night, Byfield became just the fifth different Kings skater in franchise history to establish a goal streak of at least five games before turning 23 years of age, and the first to do so since the 1987-88 campaign: Jimmy Carson (6 GP & 5 GP – 2x) & Luc Robitaille (2x: 6 GP).
— The Kings are 24-0-2 when leading after two periods of play this season.
— LA is 12-3-5 on Saturday games this season, outscoring opponents by a combined total of 58-44.
— A few fun nuggets from twitter:
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Predators
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Kuzmenko – Kopitar – Kempe
Foegele – Danault – Moore
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Jeannot – Helenius – Turcotte
Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Spence
Edmundson – Clarke
Kuemper (starter)
Rittich
Likely scratches: (F) Lewis, Thomas and (D) Burroughs, Moverare
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 5:00 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 Mikey Anderson 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
Nashville is coming off a 2-1 loss to Anaheim on Friday. Here is how they lined up for that contest:
Stamkos – O’Reilly – Evangelista
Forsberg – Sissons – Marchessault
Bunting – Svechkov – Vrana
Bellows – McCarron – Smith
Skjei – Blankenburg
Del Gaizo – Stastney
Oesterle – Barron
Saros
On This Day in Kings History
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