LA Kings vs Tampa Bay Lightning Preview: Projected Lineups, Key Points, and More

The homestand continues tonight as the Los Angeles Kings take on Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and the high-flying offense of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Look Back at Last Year

Both matchups needed overtime last year, with the home team winning each game. Last season's victory for the Kings was one of the most electrifying of the year, as Vladislav Gavrikov scored the OT game-winner just 25 seconds into the extra frame.

Key Points against the Tampa Bay Lightning

1. No Stamkos, No Problem

Despite losing franchise icon and one of the NHL's top goal scorers in Steven Stamkos, the Lightning's offense has not lost a beat. Tampa leads the league in goals for per game at 3.92, while their powerplay is still clicking at 26.9%, good enough for third best in the NHL.

Offseason acquisition Jake Guentzel, who was brought in to replace Stamkos, has been great, as he and linemates Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov all sit well above point per game. Add in Hagel, Cirelli, Paul, and the tower on defense known as Victor Hedman, and you have an elite offensive core.

With the Kings running on two days of rest coming into tonight, expect to see plenty of Mikey Anderson, Vladislav Gavrikov, and the Kopitar and Danault lines as they will look to shut down the elite offensive threats of the lightning.

2. Kuemper Familiar with the Bolts

The biggest moments of Darcy Kuemper's career have come against the Lightning, with Kuemper backstopping the Avalance to a cup victory in 2022. Combining both this series with his regular season numbers, Kuemper is a career 9-6-0 with a save percentage of .907%.

While these numbers have come across play with three different clubs, when on home ice, Kuemper is 6-1-0 with a save percentage of .936%. Look for Kuemper to build off of his 34-save shutout performance against New Jersey back on New Year's Day.

3. Byfield Line can Shine Again

Quinton Byfield notched another goal on New Year's Day, his 9th of the season and 6th over his last ten games. Warren Foegele is point per game over his last ten games. When looking at tonight's game and the matchup with Tampa's bottom 6, this feels like another game for the Byfield, Foegele, and Jeannot line to dominate.

Outside of Nick Paul, the only other player in Tampa's bottom six with over five points is Mitchell Chaffee, with 11. While points obviously are not everything, this reminds me of the Edmonton game, where the Kings can use their speed to beat these veteran bottom six players. While Kopitar and Danault are shutting down the Tampa top six, look for the Byfield line to thrive against weaker opponents once again.

Los Angeles Kings Lineup Notes

Trevor Moore and Trevor Lewis rejoined the Kings at practice and participated in normal line rushes yesterday, per Kings Insider Zach Dooley. The Trevor's skated alongside Sammy Helenius on LA's fourth line. Head coach Jim Hiller said after practice he would have an update on their game availability prior to puck drop.

Look Across the Ice at the Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa comes into tonight losers of two straight, including a 2-1 loss on Thursday against the Sharks. Here is how they lined up for that one.

When looking at Tampa's lineup, they are without JJ Moser, who has been out since mid-December and is still weeks away. Victor Hedman took a puck to the ear on Thursday in San Jose and did not return, with no update on his availability as of writing this.

Tampa's top line of Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point, and Nikita Kucherov have been wonderful this season, with Kucherov's 54 points being good enough for third in the league. In goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to get the start. The man called The Big Cat is having another good season, sitting at 16-11-1 with a save percentage of .914% and a goals against average of 2.38.

How to Tune In

Tonight's puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PST, 9:00 p.m. EST, and is available to watch on FanDuel Sports Network West. The pregame show will begin 30 minutes prior. An audio-only feed is available on the ESPN LA App. Go Kings Go!