LA Kings vs New York Rangers Preview: Projected Lineups, Key Points, and More

An early puck drop today as the Los Angeles Kings look to return to form against the struggling New York Rangers.

A Look Back at Last Year

The Kings faced longtime goaltender Jonathan Quick in both matchups last season, splitting the season series at a game apiece. Quinton Byfield, Kevin Fiala, and Philip Danault all scored across the two games, with Byfield's being the game-winner in the second game.

Key Points against the New York Rangers

1. Bounce Back Factor

The Kings have bounced back well after losses this season, only losing more than one consecutive game twice. While the team as a whole needs a bounce back, so do some individuals. It was a rare down night for Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, with the duo struggling to get things going with third linemate Trevor Moore. They weren't going to be perfect all season, but as the leaders of LA's offense, more is going to be needed from them today to guide the team back to the win column.

2. Struggles in the Big Apple

It has been a real struggle as of late for the New York Rangers. After a 5-0-1 start, the Rangers have since gone 10-12-0, traded their captain Jacob Trouba, and publicly called out their longest-tenured player, Chris Kreider. One of the major issues for the Rangers is the volume of shots they have allowed per game.

The Rangers have allowed just a tick under 32 shots per game this season, putting a large stress on their goaltenders. A shoot-first emphasis from the Kings' defensemen, along with getting back to driving the net, is how the Kings need to play and how they will beat the Rangers goaltending.

Here is how the Kings lined up in New Jersey on Thursday. The Kings recalled Andre Lee on an emergency basis yesterday, so we will see if anything in the lineup changes.

Look Across the Ice at the New York Rangers

New York is coming off a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres, and this is how they lined up in that one:

The Rangers lost defenseman K'Andre Miller in that Buffalo game, with him being placed on IR yesterday. Connor Mackey was skating in his place on the second defensive pairing at practice. Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, and youngsters Will Cuylle and Alexis Lafreniere have done the heavy lifting offensively.

It has been a down year for Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, with the two combining for just 25 points so far and a -15. While there is no word on a starting goaltender as of now, both have been great, and we know of Peter Laviolette's willingness to turn to Jonathan Quick against his former team.

How to Tune In

Today's puck drop is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PST, 7:30 EST, and is available to watch on FanDuel Sports Network West. An audio-only feed is available on the ESPN LA App. Go Kings Go!