The Kings are riding into Saturday night with some real momentum after their most lopsided win of the season, and now the next test comes against Sidney Crosby and the visiting Penguins.
That last game gave Peter Laviolette plenty to like. Almost everything clicked for Los Angeles, with the penalty kill being the lone blemish.
Up front, the top group set the tone, and Adrian Kempe was right in the middle of it. His chemistry with Artemi Panarin was on full display, a reminder that the Kings have a duo capable of tilting a game whenever they get rolling.
Kempe made the point even louder Wednesday, when he scored his fifth career hat trick. After a quieter start than expected, he looks ready to go on one of those stretches where the goals come in bunches. If that happens, it could put LA in a very good place over the next few weeks.
Quinton Byfield is another forward trending the right way. He has four points in his last three games, and the Kings are at their best when both he and Kempe are producing. It’s not a complicated formula, but it has to keep showing up.
There’s also a roster wrinkle to watch. Kings GM Ken Holland appeared on NHL Network Radio’s Hot Stove early Saturday and addressed Turcotte’s return along with Drew Doughty’s contract status.
Turcotte is set to rejoin the lineup tonight, which likely means Martin Chromiak’s stint in LA is close to ending for now. The Kings already have 23 players on the roster, and with two more injured forwards expected back soon, Holland will need to make a corresponding move before activating anyone else off injured reserve.
Holland also said he and Doughty talked over the summer about the defenseman’s future. “He wants to play, Kings want to keep it going too. They’ll figure this out when the time comes.”
David Pagnotta also reported that Holland confirmed Turcotte’s return tonight, with Fiala and Zuccarello inching closer to coming back.
The numbers around Kempe keep stacking up, too. His five hat tricks are tied with Jimmy Carson and Charlie Simmer for ninth in franchise history, and his 37 multi-goal games moved him past Dustin Brown for sole possession of ninth on the Kings’ all-time list. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, no NHL skater has scored more game-opening goals than Kempe’s 35.
Panarin brings his own set of numbers into the matchup. He has six goals and 15 points in his last 10 games against Pittsburgh, dating back to March 18, 2023 with New York. He also had his seventh career four-assist game on Wednesday, breaking a tie with Borje Salming for the sixth-most in NHL history by an undrafted skater since the introduction of the NHL Draft in 1963.
Wednesday also gave Kenny Connors his first NHL point. He became the second UMass alumnus to record a point for the Kings, joining Brad Norton.
Saturday brings a few milestone games as well. Trevor Moore is set to appear in his 500th career NHL regular-season game, while Brandt Clarke and Joel Edmundson are slated for their 200th and 700th career NHL games, respectively. Moore will become the sixth California-born player in league history to reach 500 games.
The projected Kings lineup has Panarin, Laferriere and Kempe together on the top line, with Moore centering Byfield and Perry. Haula is listed with Connors and Armia, while Lee, Laughton and Turcotte make up the fourth unit.
On defense, Gustafsson and Clarke are paired, Edmundson skates with Doughty, and Anderson lines up with Dumoulin. Darcy Kuemper is projected to start, with Forsberg backing him up.
Likely scratches are Chromiak, Helenius and Ceci, while Fiala and Zuccarello remain on injured reserve.
Pittsburgh comes in after a 6-2 loss to Boston on Thursday and is projected to go with Novak, Crosby and Rakell up front, followed by Chinakhov, Kindel and Malkin. The third line features Koivunen, Lapierre and Brazeau, with Dewar, Lizotte and Robertson on the fourth.
On defense, Girard and Karlsson are together, Stastney pairs with Korczak, and Carlile skates with Letang. Silovs is expected in goal.
Puck drop is set for 6:00 pm Pacific Time. The game will air locally on ABTV, available on DIRECTV (Ch.
692), Spectrum (Ch. 320), Cox (Ch. 64 in Orange County; Ch. 53 in Palos Verdes), and other Southern California cable and satellite providers.
It can also be streamed on DAZN, and a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app.
In Other News...
Darcy Kuempers November Tribute Will Mean A Lot To Kings Fans
Darcy Kuemper is using November to turn his mask into something bigger than hockey. The Kings goaltender has been wearing a Hockey Fights Cancer-themed design throughout the month, a reminder that the leagues annual campaign still carries real weight for players and fans who have watched loved ones battle the disease.
The tribute has a personal edge, too, with purple ribbons and doves built into the artwork to symbolize hope. Kuemper has spoken about how important the cause is and how many people around him have their own cancer connections, which is why this kind of gesture resonates beyond the crease and should mean a lot to Kings fans when the month wraps up. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Roster Shuffle Just Created A New Lineup Decision
The Kings made a small but meaningful roster adjustment after activating Alex Turcotte off injured reserve, sending winger Martin Chromiak back to AHL Ontario. Chromiaks latest NHL look was brief, with two games on the call-up and no points to show for it, but the move still matters because it clears a spot on the roster and keeps the Kings a little more flexible as they manage the lineup.
For a team that has had to stay nimble around injuries, that kind of transaction can be more than paperwork. It gives Los Angeles some breathing room heading into the next stretch, and it also keeps the door open for another addition if the injury situation worsens again. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suffer Brutal Momentum Swing In Frustrating Loss To Penguins
The Kings trip to Pittsburgh had the feel of a chance to steady things after a choppy stretch, but it turned into another frustrating night in a 5-2 loss. Corey Perry and Alex Laferriere provided the offense for Los Angeles, yet the Penguins kept finding answers, with Evgeni Malkin setting up three goals and Sergei Murashov turning aside 26 shots as Pittsburgh snapped its four-game skid.
Los Angeles has now dropped two of its last three, and the margin in this one felt even thinner for stretches than the final score suggested. A potential tying moment was taken off the board after a video review went Pittsburghs way, a swing that left the Kings chasing the game again and trying to regroup from a result that never quite broke their way. [Read more 🡒]