LA Kings vs Pittsburgh Penguins Preview: Projected Lineups, Key Points, and More

The road trip continues into Pittsburgh tonight as the Kings take on Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

A Look Back at Last Year

The Kings went 1-0-1 against the Pens last year, with both games ending in a difference of just one goal. Adrian Kempe led the way offensively, collecting three goals across the two games. Kempe has had the Pens number as of late, collecting a four-goal game against Pittsburgh back in February 2023, on Dustin Brown's Jeresy retirement night.

Key Points against the Pittsburgh Penguins

1. When in Trouble, Call AAA

With Trevor Moore being banged up against the New Jersey Devils, head coach Jim Hiller turned to Alex Turcotte to slot into the LW1 spot with Kempe and Kopitar, and he did not disappoint. The former 5th overall pick collected two points while playing a career high of 17:07.

Turcotte spoke highly of his linemates, mentioning how it is easy to play with them and the confidence they had against the Rangers. Kopitar and Kempe have seen more success at 5v5 with Turcotte compared to other wingers, seeing their xGoal share jump from 49.97% to 59.98%. With Moore not practicing yesterday, expect Turcotte to have another run with Kempe and Kopitar tonight.

2. Dynamite Darcy

Darcy Kuemper has been great since reclaiming the crease after his three-week absence due to injury. Kuemper is a perfect 3-0-0, allowing just one goal in each game and posting a .950 or higher save percentage in all three of those starts. This should not come as a surprise, however, as even before injury, Kuemper was great.

The only real knock on his numbers so far this year was the bizarre game against Ottawa in October, where Kuemper gave up eight goals. Look for him to be a big piece in slowing down Pittsburgh's future hall of famers on offense.

The Kings were without Trevor Moore against the Rangers on Saturday, with Alex Turcotte sliding to the LW1 spot and Akil Thomas coming into the lineup. Here is how the lineup in its entirety looked:

A Look Across the Ice at the Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh comes in off an OT loss to Ottawa on Saturday, a game in which they lost defenseman Marcus Pettersson to injury. Pettersson will not play tonight, with Ryan Shea expected to take his spot.

To the surprise of no one, the Penguins offense is being led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. In terms of the rest of the team, outside of former Duck Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, many have struggled to chip in offensively. Alex Nedjelkovic was the first goalie off at the Penguins morning skate and is tonight's projected starter. He comes into tonight's game carrying a record of 4-5-3 with a save percentage of .882%.

How to Tune In

Tonight's puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. PST, 7:00 p.m. 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!