The Quinton Byfield injury is the main storyline as the Los Angeles Kings visit the New York Islanders tonight at UBS Arena (4:30 p.m. PT, 7:30 p.m. ET). Byfield left Tuesday’s 5-2 win in Washington after four shifts and 2:44 of ice time with an upper-body injury. He did not skate Wednesday, and Peter Laviolette called him “day-to-day.” As a precaution, the Kings recalled Jared Wright from the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Whether Byfield plays tonight is unconfirmed.
Yesterday’s Kings first win recap covered the Washington game. This is the update and the preview for game two of the trip.
Quinton Byfield Injury: What We Know
- Status: “Right now, we’re just day-to-day with him,” Laviolette said Wednesday, per LA Kings Insider.
- Travel: Byfield traveled with the team to New York, which LA Kings Insider’s Zach Dooley called encouraging, but he was not on the ice for Wednesday’s practice at UBS Arena.
- Recall: Wright joins the team on Long Island. Laviolette called it a “precautionary move,” per RotoWire. The Kings had an open roster spot, with Alex Turcotte on injured reserve and Kevin Fiala on the injured/non-roster list, per LA Kings Insider.
- Possible cause: Pro Hockey Rumors notes that Byfield fell awkwardly into the boards at a recent practice after getting tangled with a teammate and was left “a little tight,” citing Dooley and NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. It is unconfirmed whether that is related to Tuesday’s injury.
Laviolette explained what it cost the Kings in Washington: “We’re short on offensive pieces and to get guys like that back, I think especially with QB leaving the game five minutes in, having him back in there was a help.”
Byfield’s Season So Far
Byfield has one goal and one assist in seven games, averaging 18:26 of ice time, per RotoWire. Pro Hockey Rumors notes that both points came in the Oct. 3 game at San Jose. He scored 24 goals and 49 points in 79 games last season, per TSN, and is in the third year of a five-year contract worth $6.25 million per season. With Anze Kopitar retired, he is the Kings’ second-line center and a regular on the power play.
How the Kings Could Line Up Without Byfield
After Byfield left on Tuesday, the Kings moved Erik Haula up to center the second line with Mats Zuccarello and Trevor Moore, per LA Kings Insider. Scott Laughton centered the third line with Joel Armia and Andre Lee. Dooley laid out two options for tonight:
- Keep Haula in the middle of the second line and Laughton on the third, with Wright on a wing.
- Use a familiar Wright–Laughton–Armia third line from last season.
Pro Hockey Rumors suggested Taylor Ward could fill the open fourth-line wing spot. Lines will be confirmed at Thursday’s morning skate. Dooley also wrote that Byfield playing tonight is “certainly not off the table.”
Wright has played one NHL game this season, at Vegas, and has three points (2-1-3) in five AHL games, per LA Kings Insider.
Mats Zuccarello: “A Little Bit to Go”
Zuccarello played 15:55 in his return from injured reserve on Tuesday, after missing time following the Oct. 6 loss to Florida. He said he is still not at full speed. “I feel like I’ve got a little bit to go to get my timing,” he said. “Obviously, I missed part of the camp, so getting your hockey conditioning up and timing and seeing the ice. The most important thing is that we won.”
He also talked about fitting in with a new team: “When you’re hurt during camp, early in the season, you feel kind of like an outsider, so that sucks, but it’s a part of the game. It’s a long season, I’ve got time to settle in here.”
The Kings posted Wednesday’s media session from UBS Arena:
Kings at Islanders: Game Info
- When: Thursday, Oct. 22, 4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET)
- Where: UBS Arena, Elmont, N.Y.
- Stream (Islanders’ listing): ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+
- Records (NHL.com): Kings 1-4-2 (17 goals for, 27 against). Islanders 5-3-1 (27 for, 20 against), 4-1-0 at home.
The Islanders’ official preview notes they beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Tuesday for their first back-to-back wins of the season, and are trying for a third straight win at UBS Arena. The Islanders’ site also says the Kings have played a “gauntlet” early, and that all six of their first opponents currently hold playoff spots.
The Islanders by the Numbers
From NHL.com’s club stats:
- Bo Horvat: five goals and 10 points in nine games, the team lead
- Matthew Schaefer: eight assists from the blue line
- Brayden Schenn and Matias Maccelli: six points each
- Ilya Sorokin: 5-2 with a .934 save percentage and a 1.72 goals-against average in seven games. Semyon Varlamov is .905 in two.
For the Kings, Darcy Kuemper is 1-3 in five appearances, with an .869 save percentage and a 3.94 GAA even after his 30 saves Tuesday. Anton Forsberg is 0-1 in three appearances with an .883 save percentage. New York has allowed only 20 goals in nine games, while the Kings have scored more than one goal in only three of their seven games so far, per NHL.com results.
Three Things to Watch
- Center depth. If Byfield sits, Haula and Laughton have to handle more minutes and faceoffs.
- Defense. Laviolette said Tuesday’s game was “looser” defensively than he wanted, and Washington outshot the Kings 32-26.
- Keeping the top line going. Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin and Alex Laferriere combined for seven points in Washington. Panarin has scored in four straight road games to start the season, per LA Kings Insider.
Source Notes
- When Byfield left: NHL.com shows 2:44 of ice time. Laviolette said “five minutes in,” and LA Kings Insider wrote “midway through the first period.” Those describe the clock time, not his ice time.
- Games played: RotoWire says seven appearances, and TSN said six before Tuesday. Both are correct.
- Starting goalie: tonight’s starter is unconfirmed.
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