LA Kings at Utah Hockey Club Preview: Key Points, Projected Lines, and More

The Los Angeles Kings take a quick trip to Utah as they meet with the Utah Hockey Club for the final time this season.

Look Back at the Last Meeting:

The previous matchup came back on February 22, with LA grabbing a 5-3 win on home ice. Drew Doughty led the way with a three-point night, while Fiala, Laferriere, Lewis, and Anderson all got on the board with goals as well.

Key Points Against the Utah Hockey Club:

1. The Kuzmeister

Andrei Kuzmenko has arrived.

After going scoreless in his first seven games in an LA sweater, forward Andrei Kuzmenko has collected 9 points over his last 7 games, including 5 over his last two games. Kuzmenko has spent his entire LA tenure alongside of Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar on LA's top line, and now, with some more chemistry built, he is being rewarded for his hard work.

What has really caught the attention of Jim Hiller and staff is his surprising defensive work. Despite never being known as a great defensive forward, Hiller has mentioned many times how impressed he has been and how noticeable he is within his own defensive zone and his backcheck, two things the Kings emphasize to the forwards. This defensive play was really on display against Winnipeg, as both Kopitar's and his own goal came directly from some defensive stick work within the neutral zone.

Look for Andrei Kuzmenko to have another great impact tonight.

2. Practice Plan

After coming out flat against Colorado last week, the Kings are making some changes to their practice plan.

Prior to the game in Colorado and presumably the entirety of the season, the Kings have held an full team skate, flown to the visiting city they played in, and then had an optional skate the next morning. This trip, however, the Kings are trying things in reverse order, per Kings insider Zach Dooley.

The Kings took to the ice for a full team practice yesterday, with a smaller group set to hit the ice this morning at the optional skate. The Kings were unhappy with how things went in Colorado, as they came out very flat and just seemed like they did not have their legs in the eventual 4-0 loss. While there is no stat to bring up here, it is an interesting change.

Could this be the secret to fixing the road troubles?

3. Goal Edmundson

Known goal scorer... Joel Edmundson?

On a blueline that features offensive talents like Brandt Clarke, Drew Doughty, and Jordan Spence, it has been Joel Edmundson stealing the show on offense against the Utah Hockey Club. Across the previous matchups, Joel Edmundson has collected four total points, including a two-goal effort in the first matchup of the season between the two teams. While he is obviously known for his defensive play, especially within the Kings penalty killing system, it has been great to see a guy like Edmundson be rewarded offensively.

Let's see if Joel Edmundson can keep the offensive play going again tonight in Utah and set a new career high in points.

Los Angeles Lineup Notes:

Alex Laferriere returned to the lineup against Winnipeg on Tuesday, with LA going back to the 12 forward, 6 defensemen setup. No word on a starter, but I would consider both goalies as options for tonight.

Look across the ice at the Utah Hockey Club:

Utah enters this one 5-4-1 over their last 10 and winners of 2 straight. Here is how they lined up against Calgary on Tuesday:

Utah is led offensively by captain Clayton Keller. Keller enters tonight with 25 goals and 55 assists for 80 points. Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, and Nick Schmaltz all provide nice secondary scoring as well. Mikhail Sergachev has 47 points, leading all Utah defensemen.

Expect Karel Vejmelka to get the start tonight for the Hockey Club. Vejmelka has appeared in 52 games this season, posting a record of 23-20-7 with a save percentage of .905 and a goals against average of 2.56.

Utah enters tonight's game fully healthy.

How to Tune In:

Tonight's puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PST and 9:00 p.m. EST and is available to watch on FanDuel Sports Network West. The pregame show begins 30 minutes prior. An audio-only feed is available on the ESPN LA app. Go, Kings Go!