The Los Angeles Kings had a lackluster performance against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night as they would lose 4-2 on the road. The Kings don't have much time to dwell on the loss as they have a big divisional matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night.
The Kings have 12 points through the first 10 games and are in second place in the Pacific Division. They are currently three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights who have won four straight games. One of those games included a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Las Vegas just over a week ago.
Los Angeles Kings need Darcy Kuemper to have a big-time performance
While the venue will be different for this matchup, and that favors the Los Angeles Kings who are 2-0-0 at home, the biggest change that could swing the outcome in the Kings favor is in the crease.
In the first meeting, the Kings had David Rittich in net who allowed six goals but the game was seemingly over very early as three of those goals came in roughly the first 15 minutes of the game.
The reason Rittich was in net was that Darcy Kuemper was still dealing with a lower-body injury but returned on Saturday against the Utah Hockey Club. It was a solid return to the net as he saved 24 out of 26 shots, especially considering the last time he played he gave up eight goals to the Ottawa Senators.
When Kuemper is at his best, like he showed early in the season against the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, it is a big boost for this team. Entering Wednesday, the Golden Knights are leading the leagues in goals per game at 4.70 so it won't be an easy task. However, if he keeps it close and doesn't let Vegas build a multi-goal lead, the Los Angeles Kings have a chance to steal a win.