The Los Angeles Kings are set to face the Florida Panthers tonight as they aim for consecutive victories. Coming off a commanding 3-0 win against the Winnipeg Jets, the Kings demonstrated their defensive prowess by shutting out their opponent for the first time this season. In contrast, the Panthers are looking to rebound from a disappointing 7-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks earlier this week.
For this matchup, the Kings have projected the following lines:
– J. Armia – A. Kopitar – A. Kempe
– K. Fiala – Q. Byfield – A. Laferriere
– A. Kuzmenko – P. Danault – T. Moore
– J. Malott – A. Turcotte – C. Perry
Defensively, they’ll see:
– M. Anderson – D. Doughty
– J. Edmundson – B. Clarke
– B. Dumoulin – C. Ceci
In goal, Anton Forsberg will start in favor of Darcy Kuemper, who achieved a flawless performance against the Jets. Forsberg has a mixed history with the Panthers, possessing a 2-2-1 record over six games with a 2.48 GAA and a .942 SV%.
The Panthers lineup for tonight includes:
– E. Luostarinen – A. Lundell – B. Marchand
– C. Verhaeghe – E. Rodrigues – S. Reinhart
– J. Boqvist – S. Bennett – M. Samoskevich
– A. Greer – C. Schwindt – N. Gregor
On defense, they have:
– G. Forsling – A. Ekblad
– N. Mikkola – S. Jones
– D. Sebrango – J. Petry
Sergei Bobrovsky will be in goal for Florida, possessing a 5-10-2 record against the Kings, marked by a 2.75 GAA and a .908 SV%.
Injuries are notable on both sides, with Kings forward Warren Foegele sidelined due to an upper-body injury. The Panthers are without Tomas Nosek (knee), Dmitry Kulikov (shoulder), and Jonah Gadjovich (upper body).
Key factors for the Kings will include leveraging their recent momentum and depth scoring. They currently rank 23rd in power play efficiency and 22nd in penalty kill, which they’re hoping to improve against a Panthers team that ranks 16th on the power play and 24th on the penalty kill. With three players—Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield, and Adrian Kempe—boasting over ten points each, their offensive potential looks promising. Corey Perry, who has made an impactful addition with eight points in eight games, is also a player to watch.
The Kings will need to stay disciplined and avoid penalties, as the Panthers are known for their physical play and have several key players capable of making significant contributions offensively. If they can contain stars like Brad Marchand, who leads the Panthers with 13 points, and maintain their defensive integrity, the Kings have a solid chance to secure a win.
Predictively, this matchup could tilt in favor of the Kings, with a potential score of 4-2 as they strive to maintain their winning streak and further establish their competitiveness this season.