The Kings vs Golden Knights game day report starts with who is not in the lineup. The Los Angeles Kings (0-2-1) visit the Vegas Golden Knights (4-1-0) on Saturday, October 10, at 7 p.m. PT at T-Mobile Arena, and Mats Zuccarello is out on a week-to-week timeline, according to head coach Peter Laviolette. Quinton Byfield, who missed Thursday’s practice, is back on the ice and expected to play. The Kings recalled forward Jared Wright from the AHL’s Ontario Reign to fill the gap.
This is our game-day follow-up to the Thursday practice-lines report, where Byfield’s and Zuccarello’s absences were still unexplained. Friday’s practice answered part of that question.
Kings vs Golden Knights Game Day: Zuccarello, Byfield and Alex Turcotte
- Zuccarello: out week-to-week and not expected to travel with the team Friday afternoon, per Dooley. Laviolette did not name an injury. “Everything stays internal,” he said, according to Mayor’s Manor.
- Byfield: a maintenance day, per LA Kings Insider’s Zach Dooley. He was a full participant Friday with Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe, and he traveled with the team.
- Alex Turcotte: day-to-day. He skated Thursday but was not on the ice Friday, and it was unclear whether he would make the trip.
- Kevin Fiala: listed out with a leg injury in the Associated Press preview.
Dooley wrote that Zuccarello’s timeline would point toward missing home games against Edmonton and Boston as well, and that the Kings would probably look for an update before the team leaves for a five-game East Coast trip starting in Washington. That is Dooley’s read of a week-to-week label, not a team announcement. The Kings have not said what the injuries are.
The Lines: Jared Wright Steps In
Wright scored in both of his AHL games this season, including the overtime winner on opening night against Coachella Valley. Laviolette explained the recall: “He made an impression, I think, just because of his speed, like he’s very noticeable. He gets on pucks, he gets on the forecheck.”
Wright, who spent 23 games with the Kings last season, was candid about what he is working on. “Holding onto pucks below the circles, I feel like I sometimes just throw the puck whenever I get it, on the first touch,” he said. He also wants to develop “more of a shooting mindset.”
The lines from Friday’s practice, as posted by Mayor’s Manor’s Alexander Legget:
- Forwards: Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe; Trevor Moore, Erik Haula and Alex Laferriere; Joel Armia, Scott Laughton and Wright; Andre Lee, Samuel Helenius and Corey Perry.
- Defense: Joel Edmundson and Brandt Clarke; Brian Dumoulin and Drew Doughty; Mikey Anderson and Cody Ceci, with Erik Gustafsson also in the group.
Practice lines are not always the lineup. Dooley listed Wright with Laughton and Armia, as in Legget’s version, and Laviolette said he can go with “11 and seven or 12 and six,” so the Kings have not committed to how many forwards and defensemen will dress. Moore was positive about his new look: “I think Haula’s been one of the best players the first three games here. He’s a guy who’s done it for a long time and a really good centerman. I’m excited to play with Laff,” he said of Laughton. You can watch the Moore, Wright and Laviolette availability on the LA Kings channel.
Alex Laferriere also took Zuccarello’s spot on the power play in practice, according to Dooley. Laferriere has three points in three games, and Infanity TV has his short on playing for a fourth coach in four years below.
Brandt Clarke Is Fine After a Scare
Brandt Clarke left Friday’s practice briefly after stepping on a stick blade behind the net in the first drill. His helmet visor came down, cut his lip, and he left with a towel on his face. He returned, took power-play reps and told Dooley he was fine. It matters for the Kings because Clarke’s neutral-zone turnover led to Florida’s winning goal on Wednesday, and his turnover issue was part of the week’s focus.
The Goalie Question
Neither team has confirmed a starter. Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg have alternated starts: Kuemper in Colorado, Forsberg in San Jose, Kuemper against Florida. If that pattern holds, Forsberg is next. Puckfeed’s model lists Forsberg for the Kings and Carter Hart for Vegas, while another game preview lists Kuemper, so the sources disagree. Dooley’s Friday practice notes list “Kuemper / Forsberg” with no starter. Treat all of it as projection until the teams confirm. Vegas’ Adin Hill started Thursday against Toronto.
Vegas Scouting: Jack Eichel and a Comeback
The Golden Knights come in with eight points, first in the Pacific Division, and they rallied from a 3-0 deficit on Thursday to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shootout. Jack Eichel scored a penalty-shot goal, Trevor Connelly scored the shootout winner and Hill stopped 21 shots in regulation. Eichel leads Vegas with 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in five games, and his nine assists rank second in the NHL. Victor Olofsson is out for Vegas, per the Associated Press.
Laviolette compared the Golden Knights to Florida. “They’re big and they attack hard,” he said. The Kings have scored nine goals and allowed 15 through three games, a minus-six differential, and are seventh in the Pacific with one point. They lost 8-4 at Colorado, 5-4 in overtime at San Jose and 2-1 to Florida, and Panarin (two goals, one assist), Haula (one goal, two assists) and Laferriere (one goal, two assists) lead them with three points each.
Anniversary Night in Vegas
Saturday is the first of five Anniversary Knights this season. Vegas will celebrate the anniversary of its first home game on Oct. 10, 2017, and wear its inaugural gray jerseys for the final time. The team is holding a Fan Fest beforehand with original players including Deryk Engelland, James Neal and Ryan Reaves and original coach Gerard Gallant. Vegas leads the all-time series with Los Angeles 20-15-4 and is 9-7-3 against the Kings at T-Mobile Arena. A Kings win would be their first of the season.
Unconfirmed
- The goalies for both teams.
- Whether Turcotte plays or travels, and whether the Kings dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen or 12 and six.
- The nature of Zuccarello’s injury and anything beyond “week-to-week.”
The Kings return home for Edmonton and Boston after this one. Our recap of the home opener covers how they got here.
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