LA Kings vs Seattle Kraken Preview: Key Points, Projected Lines, and More

The playoff-bound Los Angeles Kings are back at it for a Monday night tilt against Shane Wright and the Seattle Kraken.

Look Back at the Last Meeting:

The Kraken won the last meeting up in Seattle by a score of 4-2. Jordan Spence and Adrian Kempe each scored for LA, while Darcy Kuemper suffered the loss in net.

Key Points Against the Seattle Kraken:

1. Drew Doubtful

After missing the final 7:46 against Edmonton on Saturday, defenseman Drew Doughty's availability for tonight's game is up in the air.

When asked about it after practice yesterday, Jim Hiller assessed it as precautionary in his eyes, stating how he and the Kings medical staff are fully aware that Doughty will not be at 100% this season but still want to keep him fresh down the stretch and into the postseason. If Doughty can't go tonight, I would expect the Kings to turn to the Anderson-Gavrikov pairing, with Clarke getting PP1 time.

We should find out more closer to puck drop regarding Drew Doughty.

2. Looking Up the Standings

While the main concern as of now is looking down home ice in a potential series against Edmonton, the idea of winning the division is not farfetched.

Entering tonight's game, the Kings sit five points behind Vegas with a game in hand. Is it realistic? Maybe not. Is it still mathematically possible? Absolutely. When looking at the Kings schedule, they, of course, have to win at least three of the remaining six games to get ahead of Vegas. LA has three games you would classify as games you "should win," with two games against Seattle and a game against Anaheim. Outside of that, the Kings see Colorado, Edmonton, and the Flames to close things out. If you win four or five of those and get some outside help, it is possible.

On the Vegas side, they have five games remaining entering tonight and have a similar schedule setup. Two "should wins" with Seattle and Nashville, and then three tough games with Colorado, Calgary, and Vancouver. If the Kings go 5-1 and Vegas goes 2-3, LA wins the division. If the Kings go 4-2 and Vegas goes 1-4, the Kings would win the division

While it is not the most realistic thing to think about, how fun would it be for the Kings to win the Pacific Division!? The race for the division starts tonight with a win.

Los Angeles Lineup Notes:

As mentioned above, Drew Doughty is questionable tonight. To flip to some good news, Alex Turcotte returned to the ice yesterday in a non-contact jersey. Still a ways away, but a good first step for Turc. Here is how the team lined up against Edmonton on Saturday. No word on a starter.

Look Across the Ice at the Seattle Kraken:

The Kraken are 4-4-2 over their last 10 but are riding a high as winners of two straight against Vancouver and San Jose. Here is how they lined up on Saturday in San Jose:

The Kraken are led by forward Jarred McCann, who sits with 20 goals and 38 assists for 58 points.

In net, Joey Daccord is expected to start for the Kraken. Daccord this season is 26-20-5, with a .910 save percentage and 2.63 goals against average.

The Kraken enter tonight's game fully healthy.

How to Tune In:

Tonight's puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PST and 10:30 p.m. EST and is available to watch on FanDuel Sports Network West. The pregame show begins 30 minutes prior. An audio-only feed is available on the ESPN LA app. Go Kings Go!