LA Kings vs Detroit Red Wings Preview: Key Points, Projected Lineup, and More

After a rough 0-2 road trip, the Kings are set to begin a three-game home stand starting against Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings.

Series recap from last season: The Kings dropped both games to Detroit last season, a 5-3 loss in Detroit and a 4-3 shootout loss at home. Tonight's projected starter, David Rittich, stopped 24 of 27 shots he faced during regulation and OT of the 4-3 shootout loss. Adrian Kempe opened the scoring early and tied the game late with a two-goal performance.

Key Points for Los Angeles Kings vs. Detroit Red Wings

1. A new look on the power play for the LA Kings

The Kings shifted up their power play units at practice yesterday as they worked with a 5-forward approach, per Kings Insider Zach Dooley. The top unit, which saw Quinton Byfield join as the net frontman, will be quarterbacked by Adrian Kempe, in a desire to get him more touches on the PP. Adding Byfield to the top unit in the net front roll is something fans have been calling for throughout the season, and head coach Jim Hiller hopes it will help Byfield regain his "swagger" and help his 5v5 game.

2. Kings need to show they can play a full 60

After a strong 1st period against the Avs, the Kings were dominated the rest of the way through, including being held to 0 shots on goal in the 2nd period. The Kings saw a similar problem against Calgary as a slow start got them into a 2-0 hole they could not recover from. Once the Kings got going in that one, they were the far better team. Now, it's all about putting that all together for a full 60.

3. Lineup changes

The Kings lineup is expected to see some changes tonight as Tanner Jeannot returns from suspension and Jacob Moverare is set to make his season debut, paired with Jordan Spence. While he is not currently projected to start, top goaltending prospect Erik Portillo was recalled and will serve as the backup tonight to David Rittich. As for who comes out of the lineup, we will assume it is Andre Lee. Defensively, Moverare is in for the injured Caleb Jones.

Attached below is my mock up of a projected lineup for tonight's game. As we get closer to puck drop, we'll see things more confirmed.

What to know about the Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings lined up as following in their 6-4 loss last night against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night:

Former LA King Cam Talbot will be getting the start tonight for Detroit. The 37-year-old started 51 games for the Kings last year and has carried his strong play into his first year in Detroit, sitting at 5-2-1 with a 2.34 goals against average and a .927 save percentage.

Detroit's offense is led by their big three of Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, and captain Dylan Larkin, all sitting just under a point per game. Considering the six goals against, expect some lineup changes for the Wings. With their back-to-back situation, we should find out more closer to puck drop.

Tonight's game is scheduled for 5:00pm Pacific, with pregame coverage beginning at 4:30pm on FanDuel Sports West. An audio feed is also available on the ESPN LA App.