Finding more success in the defensive zone and staying out of the penalty box on special teams have been major issues for the Los Angeles Kings (5-3-4) early this regular season in the West. This comes as the Kings and Jim Hiller face a fast opponent at home in LA this weekend, on Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils (8-3-0).
The Los Angeles Kings looking to continue success on home ice this season vs. New Jersey Devils on Saturday
It was out of the locus of control for Hiller and the Kings' coaching staff to overturn video review calls that went against LA this past Thursday in a wild 4-3 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
The Kings have played better than some of their opponents on the ice early this regular season, including shootout and overtime losses against the Red Wings, Predators in Nashville, and the Minnesota Wild a couple of weeks ago on the West road trip.
Tonight is an opportunity for the Kings to get its first win of the four-game homestand against the Eastern Conference at Crypto Arena against the Devils from New Jersey.
Here are three bold predictions for the Kings against the Devils at home at Crypto.com Arena for this Saturday night matchup in primetime at 7 p.m. PT.
Jack Hughes is held without a single point
The Devils rank in the top five in offensive goals scored early this regular season. Led by captain forward Jack Hughes, the Devils have scored at least four goals in six out of the 11 games New Jersey has played in the East this regular season.
Hughes was held without a single goal against the Sharks in a convincing 5-2 loss to San Jose this past Thursday night (Oct. 30) by multiple goals. He leads the league in goals, scoring nine goals early this season for the Devils in the East.
Hughes has scored points in four straight games, including a couple of goals in New Jersey's 4-3 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche this past week on Sunday night.
All but one of Hughes' nine goals this fall have come at 5-on-5 at even strength.
The Kings will face a tough Devils power play tonight and need to watch out for the connection between Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt.
Andrei Kuzmenko sparks the Kings' power play with two special teams goals
After the regular season's first dozen games, winger Andrei Kuzmenko is off to a pretty slow and disappointing start offensively for the Kings. Kuzmenko's only two goals early this regular season have come on special teams on the power play.
One of his three assists has also come on the power play this fall for the Kings.
Kuzmenko has scored multiple goals in a half dozen games in his career playing against the Devils since the 2022-23 campaign in his rookie season with the Canucks in Vancouver.
This Kings' power play is really struggling to connect on special teams recently with the top two units on the ice in the offensive zone. The Kings haven't scored a power play goal since Adrian Kempe's overtime goal in the 4-on-3 man advantage on special teams to beat the Dallas Stars on the road a couple of weeks ago on the road trip in the West.
If Kuzmenko can spark the Kings' power play today against the Devils, this could be the perfect way to get this unit on special teams to start clicking again early this season.
The Kings win a third multi-goal game in a row on home ice vs. New Jersey
Hiller and the Kings have really struggled to get a win on home ice early this regular season. After the loss to the Red Wings this week this past Thursday night at Crypto Arena on a couple of controversial video review goal calls that went against the team late in the game and for a potential game-winning goal in overtime, it seems like the Kings can't buy a win at home now this fall.
The Kings have shown the ability early this regular season to not only play with some of the top competition in the league in the NHL, but also to score a lot of goals and comeback when down on the scoreboard late in games.
The Devils haven't found much success in the offensive zone on this road trip for New Jersey out west in the state of California this week. San Jose held New Jersey under three goals on the scoreboard for the first time this fall, early in the regular season.