The Los Angeles Kings are aiming for their third consecutive victory after posting back-to-back wins against the Minnesota Wild, with their latest triumph being a 4-2 scoreline on Monday. The Kings have demonstrated strong teamwork and performance during their matchups against the Wild, and they are looking to maintain that momentum as they face off against the San Jose Sharks, who are coming off a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Kings have made some adjustments to their lineup due to injuries. Notably, Anze Kopitar and Joel Armia are sidelined after sustaining injuries in their last game, and Trevor Moore is day-to-day after missing three games due to illness. Furthermore, Corey Perry has been scratched from the roster due to a family matter. As a result, the Kings will field a lineup featuring 11 forwards and 7 defensemen, with Jacob Moverare taking on the role of extra defenseman.
The projected lines for the Kings consist of:
– Taylor Ward – Alex Laferriere – Adrian Kempe
– Warren Foegele – Quinton Byfield – Jeff Malott
– Kevin Fiala – Alex Turcotte – Andrei Kuzmenko
– Samuel Helenius – Andre Lee
On the defensive side, the pairings include:
– Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty
– Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
– Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci
In goal, Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg are set to share duties.
Meanwhile, the Sharks are looking to capitalize on their recent success against the Blue Jackets. They will likely start Yaroslav Askarov after goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic played last night, and their projected lines feature:
– William Eklund – Macklin Celebrini – Igor Chernyshov
– Pavol Regenda – Alexander Wennberg – Tyler Toffoli
– Jeff Skinner – Ty Dellandrea – Collin Graf
– Barclay Goodrow – Zack Ostapchuk – Ryan Reaves
As the Sharks prepare for this matchup, they did not hold a morning skate, likely indicating a strategy to manage their players’ energy levels due to the back-to-back game scenario.
This matchup is crucial for both teams, each currently holding 45 points in the standings, competing for the two wild-card playoff spots in the Western Conference. The Kings, having just come off a strong performance against a formidable Wild squad, recognize that they cannot underestimate the Sharks, particularly with standout player Macklin Celebrini, who ranks third in the NHL for points and possesses the ability to shift the momentum of the game.
If the Kings replicate the level of play they showcased in their victories against the Wild, they stand a good chance of coming away with a win against the Sharks. The optimism is high, with predictions leaning towards a Kings victory, potentially by a score of 5-2.