The Kings vs Capitals game tonight at Capital One Arena (4 p.m. PT) opens a road trip for a team that is still looking for its first win. The Los Angeles Kings are 0-4-2 after six games and have been outscored 25-12, per NHL.com. The Washington Capitals are 5-3-0 and 4-1 at home. Here is everything to know on game day, from Monday’s practice lines to the goaltending question and Mats Zuccarello’s status.
Our Kings road trip story looked at the full five-game swing. This one is just about tonight.
Kings vs Capitals: Game Info
- When: Tuesday, Oct. 20, 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET)
- Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
- Records: Kings 0-4-2 (2 points). Capitals 5-3-0 (10 points), per NHL.com standings.
- Goals: Kings 12 for, 25 against. Capitals 28 for, 24 against.
- Rest of the trip: at the New York Islanders (Thursday), at the New Jersey Devils (Saturday), at the New York Rangers (Monday), per NHL.com’s schedule. The Kings have practices planned Wednesday and Sunday.
How the Kings Got to 0-4-2
NHL.com’s results show the slide. The first two games were high-scoring. The last four have been close but almost goalless for Los Angeles:
- Sept. 30: lost 8-4 at the Colorado Avalanche
- Oct. 3: lost 5-4 in overtime at the San Jose Sharks
- Oct. 6: lost 2-1 to the Florida Panthers
- Oct. 10: lost 2-1 in overtime at the Vegas Golden Knights
- Oct. 13: lost 4-1 to the Edmonton Oilers
- Oct. 17: lost 4-1 to the Boston Bruins
That is one goal in each of the last four games. Eight of the 12 goals came in the first two. The defense has tightened since the 8-4 opener, and two of the losses came in overtime. But a lineup with Panarin and Kempe in the top six has scored four goals over the last four games. The Kings have not played since Saturday’s home loss to Boston.
Monday’s Practice Lines
LA Kings Insider posted Monday’s lines in Washington. These are practice lines, not confirmed game-night lines:
- Artemi Panarin – Alex Laferriere – Adrian Kempe
- Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Mats Zuccarello
- Erik Haula – Scott Laughton – Joel Armia
- Andre Lee – Samuel Helenius – Corey Perry
- Extra: Taylor Ward
- Erik Gustafsson – Brandt Clarke
- Joel Edmundson – Drew Doughty
- Mikey Anderson – Brian Dumoulin
- Extra: Cody Ceci
Goalies: Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg. Alex Turcotte did not travel with the team, per LA Kings Insider.
Mats Zuccarello “Trending”
The biggest lineup question is Zuccarello. Peter Laviolette called him “trending” after he skated in a regular spot on the Byfield line. That is not a confirmation that he will play, and his status should be checked at warmups. If he plays, Byfield would get a passer on his wing for the first time this season.
Byfield likes the combination. “I’m a big Mooresie guy,” he said, and he praised Zuccarello’s playmaking: “passing is just outstanding.”
Quinton Byfield: Going to the Net
Byfield has one goal and one assist in six games, per LA Kings Insider, after scoring 10 goals in his final 15 games last season. He was honest about the start. “Not an ideal start,” he said. His plan for scoring again was simple: “Just going to the net.” He added that the goals might be “a couple dirty ones.”
Goaltending: No Confirmed Starter
The Kings had not named tonight’s starter as of Monday. Daily Faceoff’s projection, cited by TheSpread, has Forsberg in net. That is a projection, not confirmed. Neither goalie has a good save percentage yet: TheSpread lists Forsberg at .883 and Kuemper at .847. The penalty kill has been the biggest problem, allowing eight goals on 21 times shorthanded, per TheSpread.
The Capitals
- Logan Thompson made 29 saves in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils and is 4-2 with a .910 save percentage and a 2.69 goals-against average, per Hockey.com.
- Matt Roy could return to the lineup, per coach Spencer Carbery via Hockey.com.
- Justin Sourdif is out sick.
- Pierre-Luc Dubois is likely out, per Hockey.com.
Washington’s results from NHL.com show a team that has been very good at home. The Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3, the New York Rangers 3-1, the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 and New Jersey 4-2 at Capital One Arena. Their only home loss was 5-3 to the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 11. On the road they are 1-2, with a 5-2 win at Carolina and losses at Tampa Bay and in a rematch at Carolina. All eight of their games have been decided in regulation. Their 28 goals, 3.5 a game, are more than double the Kings’ 12, and Washington has scored at least three goals in six of eight games. For a Kings team that has not scored more than once in a game since Oct. 3, that is the biggest gap to close tonight.
Laviolette expects the Capitals to push from the start. “They’re going to come fast and furious,” he said, per LA Kings Insider.
Three Things to Watch
- The penalty kill. Eight goals allowed on 21 kills is the main reason the Kings have been outscored by 13. Staying out of the penalty box against a Washington team that has scored 28 goals matters most.
- The top line. Panarin, Laferriere and Kempe stayed together. Laferriere scored with 31 seconds left against Boston on Saturday, the Kings’ only goal in a 4-1 loss.
- A first win. After six games without one, the Kings badly need points before the three New York-area games. Erik Haula put it this way: “It’s just a big game tomorrow.”
Doughty and the “C”
Off the ice, the Kings’ Black & White podcast posted a short clip titled “Doughty’s first time seeing the ‘C,'” in which Drew Doughty looks back on his career in Los Angeles. He is paired with Edmundson in Monday’s lines:
Source Notes
- Standings and goals: from NHL.com’s standings on Tuesday morning.
- Goalie stats and the penalty kill: from TheSpread and have not been checked against NHL.com.
- Tonight’s starter: Daily Faceoff’s projection is unconfirmed.
- Capitals injuries: from Hockey.com, citing Carbery.
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