Winners of five straight, the Kings are hoping some home cooking over the next couple of weeks keeps the good times rolling. They’ll be playing seven consecutive games in downtown LA, beginning Saturday night against the visiting Nashville Predators.
Forward Trevor Moore returned on Thursday vs. Colorado and he is expected to play again tonight. How coach Todd McLellan configures the remainder of his fourth line is somewhat in question, as this article was posted prior to morning skate. The team also took Friday off, so there wasn’t a practice configuration to help piece the lineup together. We’re assuming Arthur Kaliyev will slide back in after missing the past two games. If so, that would leave Zack MacEwen, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, and Carl Grundstrom as the extra forwards.
Kevin Fiala is helped off the ice and leaves the game after a knee on knee collision with Andrew Cogliano.#GoKingsGo #GoAvsGo #COLvsLAK pic.twitter.com/CgKLv8XWOs
— LA Royalty (@LARoyalty1967) March 10, 2023
Of course all of this changes if Kevin Fiala isn’t good to go. He encountered a knee-on-knee collision with Andrew Cogliano in Denver and was temporarily knocked out of the game. Fiala eventually returned in the third period, but only took a few shifts. Again, without a practice on Friday, no further word was offered regarding his status. We’ll have to see how things shake out later today.
UPDATE: Fiala skipped morning skate, so he is most likely not expected to play.
Defensively speaking, we’re assuming Alex Edler returns at LD3, so either Jordan Spence or Sean Walker will sit out.
Until somebody establishes himself as the true No. 1, McLellan will likely be going with a heavy diet of an every-other-game rotation for his netminders. As such, look for Pheonix Copley to start on Saturday.
LA Kings Projected Lineup vs. Nashville Predators
Byfield – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Iafallo – Lizotte – Vilardi
Grundstrom – Kupari – Kaliyev
Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Roy
Edler – Walker
Copley
Korpisalo
Scratches: Anderson-Dolan, Durzi, Fiala, MacEwen, Spence
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm PST and will be televised by Bally Sports.
For those live in attendance, the LA Kings Booster Club will offer their popular ‘Puck for a Buck’ contest — featuring Kevin Fiala for this game. Just $1 could win you an autographed puck from an NHL star. Visit their table near aisle M8 on the main concourse for more information.
Across the Ice
In their last game played, the Preds lost to the Coyotes 4-1 in Arizona.
Here’s how Nashville lined up for that one:
#Preds lines vs. ARI:
Leonard – Glass – Duchene
Sherwood – Novak – Evangelista
Asplund – Sissons – Tomasino
Trenin – McCarron – SmithJosi – Fabbro
McDonagh – Barrie
Lauzon – FooteSaros
— Emma Lingan (@emma_lingan) March 10, 2023
On This Day in Kings History
On March 11, 2017, Adrian Kempe scored his first career NHL goal against the Washington Capitals. Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, and Alec Martinez each recorded two points, and Kempe's goal proved to be the game-winner in a 4-2 victory for the @LAKings.#LAKings #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/MNG7chAfHv
— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) March 11, 2023
On March 11, 2017, Adrian Kempe scored his first career NHL goal against the Washington Capitals. Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, and Alec Martinez each recorded two points, and Kempe's goal proved to be the game-winner in a 4-2 victory for the @LAKings.#LAKings #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/MNG7chAfHv
— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) March 11, 2023
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