Time to get on a roll.
The Kings head into tonight’s matchup with the Islanders looking for something they haven’t found yet on this five-game road trip: a second straight win. They opened the trip with a victory, and now the test gets a little trickier in New York, where the lineup may again be missing a key piece.
Quinton Byfield didn’t finish Tuesday’s game and is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Peter Laviolette didn’t offer much clarity when asked about his center, and the recall of Jared Wright from Ontario at least points to real concern that Byfield might not be available. There won’t be a final answer until warmups, so Erik Haula is being slotted in as the placeholder for now.
The good news for Los Angeles is that its top end showed up last time out. Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe each piled up three points, and with several expected regulars unavailable, that kind of production from the healthy stars looms large again. Early in the season, the Kings need their best players to keep driving the offense.
Darcy Kuemper is also trending in the right direction. His season has had its bumps since the collision with Mikko Rantanen last December, but his recent stretch suggests he may be getting back toward the level that made him a Vezina-caliber goaltender two seasons ago. Tuesday was his best outing of the year, and he has now posted a save percentage above .930 in three of his last four starts.
On the back end, Laviolette has a decision to make. Cody Ceci was a healthy scratch in the last game as the Kings moved away from an 11+7 setup and went with a standard 12+6 look. Ceci has been better this season, but if Brandt Clarke and Erik Gustafsson are going to stay together, someone has to come out, and that pair has been LA’s best this year.
The numbers around that duo back it up. Clarke and Gustafsson both rank near the top of the league among defensemen in offensive-zone time, and the pair’s 5-on-5 expected-goal share has stood out league-wide.
The Kings are also carrying some strong history into this one: they’ve picked up points in 10 straight games against the Islanders, going 9-0-1 since Jan. 27, 2022, and they’ve done it at UBS Arena too, with points in each of their last five there. In that span, they’ve outscored New York 36-18.
Panarin has his own track record against the Islanders. He scored his first goal as a King against them last March, and in 42 career regular-season games against New York, he has 50 points. That 1.19 points per game is the second-best mark among active skaters who have faced the Islanders at least 40 times, behind only Sidney Crosby.
New York comes in after a 3-2 win over Anaheim on Tuesday and is expected to ice this lineup tonight: Holmstrom-Horvat-Palmieri, Heineman-Schenn-Eklund, Palat-Pageau-Duclair, and MacLean-Cizikas-Chaffee up front; Stanley-Schaefer, Pelech-Pulock, and Kessel-DeAngelo on defense; with Sorokin in goal.
The Kings’ projected group has Panarin, Laferriere and Kempe on the top line, with Moore, Haula and Zuccarello behind them. Lee, Laughton and Armia make up the third line, while Wright, Helenius and Perry are listed on the fourth.
Clarke and Gustafsson are paired again, followed by Edmundson-Doughty and Anderson-Dumoulin. Kuemper is the expected starter, with Forsberg backing him up.
Byfield and Ward are the likely scratches up front, Ceci is the likely scratch on defense, and Fiala and Turcotte remain on injured reserve.
Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 pm Pacific Time, with the game airing on ESPN+ and a Kings radio feed available on the ESPN LA app.
In Other News...
Kings Face Another Forward Depth Test With Jared Wright Back
The Kings are leaning on familiar organizational depth again, with Jared Wright recalled from the Ontario Reign to give the club another forward option after recent injuries thinned the lineup. The move restores Los Angeles to a full 23-man active roster, a small but important reset for a team that has already had to keep one eye on the AHL for reinforcements this season.
Wright has been bounced between Los Angeles and Ontario multiple times, and his return figures to come with the same kind of practical assignment he has handled before. After appearing in one NHL game earlier this season, he is expected to fit into a bottom-six role if he gets into the lineup, giving the Kings a depth piece they know and have leaned on before. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Will Be Saddened By News About Former Forward Ron Duguay
Ron Duguay, one of the most recognizable figures of his era and a former New York Rangers forward, has died after a battle with colon cancer. The Rangers organization and the NHL Alumni both mourned his loss publicly, a reflection of how widely respected he remained long after his playing days ended. For fans who remember the flair he brought to the ice, the news lands hard.
Duguay spent 499 games with New York and finished among the franchises top goal scorers, leaving behind a lasting imprint on one of the leagues most storied teams. Even for Kings fans, the announcement resonates because it serves as a reminder of how many familiar names from that era shaped the NHLs identity, and how quickly those memories can turn into tributes. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Fans Should Watch This Defense Market Twist Closely
Scott Mayfields situation in New York is the kind of defense-market wrinkle that always gets attention around the league, especially for teams looking for experienced help without having to pay full freight in a shallow market. The Islanders blueliner still has three years left on his deal at a $3.5 million cap hit, and his no-movement clause this season only adds another layer to a situation that has already been complicated by the fact he has been healthy scratched in recent games.
For the Kings, the name that really sharpens the focus is Drew Doughty. The longtime Los Angeles defenseman is heading toward unrestricted free agency, and there is at least some movement behind the scenes as he now has an agent after previously representing himself. He has also made clear he would like to stay in Los Angeles on a team-friendly deal, while acknowledging the club may ultimately decide to go in a different direction, which is exactly why any trade chatter involving defensemen feels a little more meaningful right now. [Read more 🡒]