LA Kings vs Washington Capitals Preview: Projected Lineups, Key Points, and More

The Los Angeles Kings conclude their seven-game road trip with a matchup against the Capitals, in the nation's Capitol.

Look Back at Last Year

The Kings were swept in the season series last year, with Washington picking up two, one-goal victories. The one matchup that took place at Capital One Arena was part of the disastrous January stretch for the Kings, with Washington winning 4-3. Kevin Fiala led the way offensively against the Caps, scoring twice. Today's starter, David Rittich, did not start either game last season.

Key Points Against the Washington Capitals

1. Hello, Old Friends

The Kings will see plenty of familiar faces as they take on the Caps. Let's start with the one with the most eyes on him, Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Kings sent out tons of assests, gave him an 8-year deal, but things just never clicked with Dubois.

After just one season as a King, LA cut ties with Dubois, sending him to Washington for Darcy Kuemper, just a few weeks before Dubois' no movement clause was set to kick in. To Dubois' credit, similar to Kuemper, he is having a nice bounce-back season with 5 goals and 18 assists through 32 games.

The less talked-about new name in Washington is defenseman Matt Roy. Roy, originally an LA 7th round pick, carved out a great six-year career with LA, becoming a key member of some of the top defensive teams in hockey. Roy, who became a UFA this season, signed a well-earned 6-year contract that will see him make over 34 million dollars. Look for these two to be potential Washington standouts tonight as they play with a bit of an edge against their former team.

2. 12/6 Look?

Jim Hiller mentioned prior to yesterday's game that the thing will look at utilizing the 12/6 setup across the back-to-back. Outside of the third period, some of the Kings veteran forwards simply looked tired, with the long trip catching up to them. If Hiller does opt to deploy 12 forwards, look for Andre Lee to slide back into the lineup.

3. Breakout Stars

While the Kings have enjoyed surprise seasons from second-year forward Alex Laferriere and former fifth-overall pick Alex Turcotte, the Washington Capitals are benefiting heavily from the production of Connor McMichael and Aleksi Protas.

Like Turcotte, the two 23-year-old forwards were part of the 2019 NHL draft. For Connor McMichael, his point increase comes from an increase in shots and his shooting percentage. Across 80 games last season, McMichael took just 135 shots, resulting in 18 goals and a 13.3 shooting percentage. In just 32 games this season, he has 91 shots and a team-leading 16 goals, for a shooting percentage of 17.6. In the case of Aleksi Protas, the most surprising aspect is his success at 5v5, with all 27 points coming at even strength. These two, along with PL Dubois, make up Washington's second line, so look for Alex Laferriere and his line to be matched up with them.

The Kings did not skate today due to the back-to-back, so no word on any changes. As highlighted above, Andre Lee is an option with the 12/6 setup. Here's how yesterday's lineup looked.

Look Across the Ice at the Washington Capitals

The Capitals are coming off a 3-1 victory against the Canes on Friday. Here is how they lined up for that one.

The Caps are without the legendary Alex Ovechkin as well as Lars Eller, and Sonny Milano. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren is also a question mark today, as he has been dealing with an illness. Washington's offense so far has been led by former third overall pick Dylan Strome. Strome has collected 38 points across 32 games this season. With Lindgren under the weather, look for former Golden Knight Logan Thompson to get the start. Thompson is having a wonderful season, carrying a record of 12-2-2 and a save percentage of .911.

How to Tune In

Today's puck drop is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. PST, 5:00 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!