The Los Angeles Kings are coming off an impressive win on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets. It was a game they were seemingly in control from the start and played a really good game for a complete 60 minutes as they would go on to win 4-1.
They are still very much in a competitive playoff race as they try to stay ahead of the Edmonton Oilers, who are only two points back, to keep home ice in that first round. However, with a strong finish and a little luck, it is not out of question that they could catch the Vegas Golden Knights and win the Pacific Division.
The challenge is that they are going on the road for the game on Thursday against the Utah Hockey Club. For the Kings, the good news is that they have won the first two games this season against Utah but this will be the first one on the road.
These are three things to watch out for in this game for the LA Kings.
Another David Rittich game?
Over the past four games, the LA Kings have alternated starting goalies between Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich. If that trend continues, then the game against Utah will have Rittich in net for the LA Kings.
The veteran goaltender has struggled as of late but has shown some flashes of what he had earlier this season as well as last season. He would give up only two goals against the Carolina Hurricanes before giving up four goals on 26 shots against the Colorado Avalanche.
Rittich would bounce back against San Jose and allow only one goal, his fewest allowed goals in a game since February 8th. When looking at his recent starts, he has been much better at home and his best games have been when the Kings get an early lead.
While the Kings can't change the venue, if they can get an early lead it will help David Rittich settle down in this game.
Big game incoming from LA Kings' defensemen?
The LA Kings won the first two meetings against Utah by a final score of 3-2 and 5-3 and in both games there was one common theme. That was that the Kings defensemen did a lot of the scoring as they accounted for five of the eight goals scored this season against Utah.
In the first game, it was exclusively the defensemen who scored as Joel Edmundson had two goals with Brandt Clarke adding one himself. In the second game, Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson each added a goal with Anderson's sealing the win with an empty-net goal at the end of the third period.
The Kings collectively have been much more productive scoring as of late but this is an area that they might have a distinct advantage and can try to capitalize on in this game.
LA Kings can't look past Utah Hockey Club
The Utah Hockey Club are near the bottom of the Western Conference but have been better as of late. They are entering this game winners of their past two and will be looking to play the role of spoiler against the Kings.
For the Kings, they have a huge matchup looming this weekend against the Edmonton Oilers that could play a major role in if the Kings can secure home ice and stay ahead of the Oilers. However, these are winnable games on paper and the Kings need to secure as many points as possible.
This one is as much a must-win as the one Saturday and they can't afford to let this one be a trap game.
Final Score Prediction: LA Kings 4, Utah Hockey Club 2
The LA Kings have struggled on the road, especially teams they should beat, but there is a certain urgency with the regular season quickly ending that the Kings are able to come out focused in this one. They will look to put pressure on Utah and get an early lead, which should help David Rittich (if he is in net), and they can head back to Los Angeles with two more points.