Kings vs Devils is up next on the road trip. The Los Angeles Kings (2-4-2) visit the New Jersey Devils (6-4-0) at Prudential Center on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT, looking for a third straight win. Quinton Byfield is questionable with an upper-body injury after missing Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win against the Islanders. The Devils come in on a high after trading for goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on Friday, though NHL.com says Hellebuyck will not play in this game.
Quinton Byfield Status
Byfield missed the game on Long Island after he was a game-time decision and skipped the morning skate. NHL.com’s status report calls him questionable for Saturday. ESPN’s injury table still lists him as day-to-day. The Devils’ preview lists the injury as undisclosed, while the Kings have called it upper-body.
NHL.com’s projected lineup has Byfield back at center between Trevor Moore and Mats Zuccarello, with Jared Wright as a scratch. That is a projection, not a confirmed lineup. The Kings will not settle it until warmups. If Byfield cannot go, Wright, who played 10:09 on Thursday, is the likely fill-in.
The Kings are also without Kevin Fiala (lower-leg fracture, injured reserve) and Alex Turcotte (undisclosed, IR).
The Hellebuyck Trade and the Devils’ Net
New Jersey made the biggest trade of the young season on Friday. The Devils acquired Hellebuyck, 33, from the Winnipeg Jets for forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, the rights to forward Alexander Command, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick, according to both teams.
Hellebuyck has three Vezina Trophies and a Hart Trophy. He had not played this season after asking Winnipeg for a trade over the summer and being suspended for not reporting to camp, per NHL.com. He is in the third year of a seven-year, $59.5 million contract.
For Saturday, the change mostly affects the backup spot. NHL.com’s On Tap preview says Hellebuyck “won’t be on the ice” against Los Angeles. Its projected lineup has Jake Allen starting with Hellebuyck as the backup. Allen is 4-2-0 with a 3.10 goals-against average and an .883 save percentage, per ESPN.
Momentum on Both Sides
The Kings opened 0-4-2. They were the last team in the NHL to win a game, which came at Washington on Oct. 20. The overtime win on Long Island followed two nights later.
“These are vital points,” Brandt Clarke said after scoring the winner, per FLM’s preview on CBS Sports. “We don’t want to drop these. We want to capitalize on our chances.”
Los Angeles had lost its first two overtime games this season. Coach Peter Laviolette liked how the third one went. “This (overtime) was good,” he said. “I thought we did most everything we wanted to, with regard to faceoffs, possession and execution. It was nice to get some results from it.”
Artemi Panarin, who had his first multi-goal game as a King, described the room. “We have only two wins, but still feel good energy in the locker room,” Panarin said. “We’ll enjoy it a little bit and try thinking about the next game.”
The Devils are 4-1-0 in their past five and 5-2-0 at home. They beat Colorado 4-3 and Anaheim 4-1 earlier on this homestand, and a win would sweep it.
Players to Watch
- Arseny Gritsyuk (NJ): Goals in four straight games and five in his last six, per the Devils.
- Jack Hughes (NJ): 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists), the team lead.
- Nico Hischier (NJ): 5 goals, 4 on the power play.
- Artemi Panarin (LA): 6 goals and 9 points, both team highs, on 26 shots.
- Brandt Clarke (LA): 2 goals and 5 assists after his overtime winner.
- Alex Laferriere (LA): 5 assists, tied with Clarke for the team lead.
Devils coach Sheldon Keefe still wants more from Gritsyuk. “I love Grits, he’s done a lot of great things, but I still think there’s a better player there, and we’re going to keep working with him,” Keefe said after the Anaheim win. Gritsyuk plays on the top line with Hughes and Jesper Bratt. The Devils say that line has seven goals and 16 points over the past five games.
By the Numbers
- Goals per game: Kings 2.50, Devils 3.30.
- Goals against per game: Kings 3.63, Devils 3.10.
- Shots per game: Kings 29.0, Devils 35.0.
- Power play: Kings 16.0 percent, Devils 21.9 percent.
- Penalty kill: Kings 63.0 percent, Devils 72.0 percent.
- Kings road record: 2-1-2.
The penalty kill is the number to watch. The Kings have allowed 10 power-play goals in eight games. Against a Devils power play led by Hischier and Hughes, staying out of the box may matter as much as anything.
In goal, Darcy Kuemper is 2-3-1 with a 3.55 GAA and an .890 save percentage after stopping 41 of 43 on Thursday. Laviolette called him “phenomenal” after that game. Anton Forsberg is 0-1-1. The Kings have not named Saturday’s starter. NHL.com lists Kuemper first in its projection, but that is not confirmed. Saturday starts a run of four games in six days, including a back-to-back in New York and Chicago on Monday and Tuesday.
ESPN lists the Devils as -166 favorites.
Where to Watch and What’s Next
Puck drop is 12:30 p.m. PT (3:30 p.m. ET) at Prudential Center in Newark. NHL.com lists ABTV, MSGSN and SN as broadcasters, and ESPN lists ESPN+.
- Monday, Oct. 26: at New York Rangers, 4 p.m. PT.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27: at Chicago Blackhawks, 5 p.m. PT.
- Thursday, Oct. 29: vs. Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m. PT.
This is the Kings’ first season without Anze Kopitar since 2005, as the Devils’ preview noted. The teams meet again on Jan. 2 in Los Angeles.
Source Notes
- Hellebuyck’s debut: One web search summary said Hellebuyck would debut against the Kings. NHL.com says he will not play Saturday. We follow NHL.com.
- Byfield: NHL.com calls him questionable, ESPN lists him day-to-day, and the Devils list the injury as undisclosed. There is no confirmation yet that he will play.
- Fiala: NHL.com says “leg surgery” and the Devils’ preview says lower-leg fracture. These are compatible.
Want every Kings clip and postgame reaction first? Subscribe to Infanity TV on YouTube.
