It counts tonight. The Kings season opener drops the puck at 7 p.m. PT (8 p.m. MT) at Ball Arena in Denver, where the Colorado Avalanche open their 31st season in Colorado against the team they swept out of the first round in April. The game airs nationally on TNT, truTV and HBO Max. Peter Laviolette’s first regular-season game behind the Kings bench comes with a simple demand from the coach himself: forget moral victories. “I think it’s always about the win and always about points,” Laviolette said. “I don’t want to get on a plane and go out there and play well. I don’t think anybody does. You want to go out there and you want to win.”
Here is your game-day preview, from the rematch storyline to the goalie question.
Kings Season Opener: A Rematch Still Fresh
Colorado ended the Kings’ season with a four-game sweep, outscoring Los Angeles 13-5 over the series. The Avalanche have now won all three playoff series between the clubs: in seven games in 2001 and 2002, and in four straight in 2026. Tonight is the first of three regular-season meetings, with the teams also set to play in Los Angeles on March 7 and in Denver on April 2.
The players aren’t hiding from it. “You get swept by a team, and [it’s] still pretty fresh in your mind, I think you want to get off to a good start,” Scott Laughton said. “Go play a simple road game against a really good hockey team, and I believe we’re a really good hockey team too.”
Brian Dumoulin said familiarity should help. “I remember that series pretty well,” he said. “They have a lot of the same players, too, so we should feel confident knowing their game plan.” The recipe, he said, is “winning puck battles and handling momentum.”
What the Kings Are Up Against
Colorado won the Presidents’ Trophy last season and returns most of its core. Nathan MacKinnon led the NHL with 53 goals and finished third with 127 points. Cale Makar ranked third among defensemen with 79 points, and Martin Necas reached 100 points. MacKinnon has 41 points in 36 career regular-season games against the Kings.
Ball Arena is a tough building. Colorado’s 26 home wins last season were tied for the third most in the NHL, and its 2.54 goals allowed per game at home was tied for the fewest. MacKinnon sounded ready: “I’m really excited. Excited for a new year. A fresh year… It’s been a great camp. I think it’s been a perfect amount of time to get ready for tomorrow.”
Laviolette admitted the scouting picture is incomplete this early. “There are some pre-scouts that we can pull from preseason, but mixed lineups and not having everybody the same… it’s always a little bit different,” he said. “But I do think that when you’ve gotten a coach that’s down a road with the identity of a team, you can pull from last year’s playoffs and this year’s preseason games.” Jared Bednar has coached Colorado since 2016.
The Goalie Decision
As of Wednesday morning, the Kings had not officially named a starter. Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg are the two goalies on the roster, and several previews project Kuemper for the opener, but that confirmation typically comes after the morning skate. Forsberg started all four playoff games against Colorado last spring, and he made it clear that last season’s finish guarantees nothing.
“It doesn’t really matter what you did last year, it’s going to be whatever you show this year,” Forsberg said. “I came in as a clear number two, but I mean, things change quickly in hockey. We start from square one today in a competition, so I’m going to do everything I can to keep up the play I had last year.” With no back-to-backs in the first three weeks, expect both goalies to play early.
Byfield’s Big Chance at 1C
Quinton Byfield has centered Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe for most of camp, giving him his first real shot as the top-line center. Kempe led the Kings with 36 goals and 73 points last season, and Byfield was second with 24 goals and 49 points. “We’ve seen how dominant Q can be, the way he takes over games, so I think it’s a great opportunity for him,” Kempe said. “The chemistry felt good right away.”
Behind them, Alex Turcotte gets the second-line center look between Mats Zuccarello and Alex Laferriere, who scored 21 goals last season. “Honestly, there’s nothing to lose, so you just go out there, play and have fun,” Turcotte said. The Trevor Moore, Erik Haula and Laughton trio projects as the matchup line, and Laviolette loved it in the preseason finale: “I thought that they were one of the most noticeable lines.” For the full practice alignment and the Doughty captaincy story, see yesterday’s lines breakdown.
Activating the Defense
The biggest schematic change tonight may come from the blue line. The Kings ranked last in the NHL in goals from defensemen last season, and Laviolette and associate coach Phil Housley want their defensemen joining the attack. Drew Doughty, who had 23 points in 71 games last season, is thrilled.
“The D-activation is completely different, like it’s going to be amazing,” Doughty said. “We’re going to create so much more offense. A lot of times in the past two, three years, we were just playing basically 3-on-5 in the o-zone.”
Laviolette wants balance. “It’s not like somebody’s going to change their game, have 95 points and be up for the Norris Trophy,” he said, describing “subtle changes” instead. The Kings allowed just 140 goals at 5-on-5 last season, third best in the league, and Cody Ceci said they cannot lose that: “We want to be a little more offensive, but we don’t want it to be run and gun every single night.”
Power Play and Lineup Notes
The power play finished in the bottom five last season. Brandt Clarke has been on the top unit throughout camp, playing off Panarin’s movement. “I’ve got to read off Bread, he’s going to move all over the place,” Clarke said. For more on the special-teams overhaul, see Housley’s special teams puzzle.
Joel Edmundson was listed as day-to-day after missing the preseason finale, and Corey Perry, who is on the Opening Night roster, had been away from the team for personal reasons. Watch for confirmation of both after the morning skate. Andre Lee, who earned a roster spot with a strong camp, is on the trip. Kevin Fiala remains on injured reserve. Revisit our roster story for how the group was set.
Watch: Laughton, Dumoulin and Laviolette Before Denver
Hear from the Kings after their final practice before the opener in the team’s official media video:
The Road Ahead
After Denver, the Kings visit San Jose on Saturday, October 3, and host the Florida Panthers in the home opener on Tuesday, October 6, at Crypto.com Arena. But tonight is the one circled on the calendar. “This is the week you want to be a part of it,” Laughton said. Puck drop is 7 p.m. PT on TNT. Watch the video above and follow InfanityTV for full coverage of the Kings season opener.
