LA Kings vs Philadelphia Flyers Preview: Projected Lineups, Key Points, and More

Onto Philly! The Los Angeles Kings get their first look at Russian rookie sensation Matvei Michkov and the rest of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Look Back at Last Year

The road team won each game last season, with the Kings grabbing a 4-3 OT win in January. Kevin Fiala led the Kings with three points, while Kopitar collected two goals in the win.

Key Points against the Philadelphia Flyers

1. Don't Let Off the Gas

The Kings opened the scoring just 33 seconds into the 1st against the Penguins, but then looked flat after that, relying heavily on Darcy Kuemper throughout the night. Overall, the Kings were not too impressed with their game, as both Adrian Kempe and Vladislav Gavrikov mentioned that they allowed more chances than they were used to. Jim Hiller stated that the Kings were not sharp and did not execute. Expect Hiller's group to be fired up and ready to go tonight after an off day yesterday.

2. Kolosov's Struggling in December

While his overall season has not been strong, December has been particularly ugly for Flyers goaltender Aleksei Kolosov, allowing 9 goals across three games. 6 of these goals against have come on home ice, with him posting just a .887 save percentage within the Wells Fargo Center. Kolosov also stands just 6'1, making him one of the smaller NHL goaltenders. Kings need to put a large emphasis on the Kings shot mentality from their defense and their forward's willingness to get to the front of the net in tonight's game.

3. Flyers Rough Go on Back-to-Backs

Tonight marks the second half of a back-to-back for the Flyers, something they have struggled with this season. This is their 5th set of back-to-backs, entering tonight 1-3 and giving up 4.5 goals per game. Their offense has also been slow in this game scenario, averaging just 2.5 goals per game. As mentioned earlier, the Kings want to play a better complete game and need to take advantage of a tired Flyers unit.

The Kings were without Trevor Moore for a second straight game on Tuesday, remaining with the 11/7 setup featuring Alex Turcotte on the top line. The Kings did not skate yesterday, so if Moore is ready to go today, expect to hear closer to puck drop.

A Look Across the Ice at the Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers are coming off a 6-4 loss last night in Detroit, their second straight loss, which officially dropped them to .500. Here is how they lined up in that one, according to Flyer reporter Jamey Baskow:

The Flyers have just three players with 20 or more points, headlined by Travis Konecny and his 37 points in 32 games. Expect goaltender Alexei Kolosov to get the start between the pipes tonight. The rookie goaltender is 4-5-1 with a save percentage of .889 and a goals against average of 3.05.

How to Tune In

Tonight's puck drop is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PST and 7:30 p.m. EST and is nationally televised on both ESPN+ and Hulu. An audio-only feed is available on the ESPN LA App. Go Kings Go!