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

After a disappointing 2-3 road trip, the Los Angeles Kings are back on home ice tonight to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Look Back at the Last Matchup

The Kings were in Pittsburgh in mid-December, with the Kings losing 3-2 in overtime. LA saw that game slip away from them in the 3rd, an unfortunate outcome after a strong start to that game. Adrian Kempe and Alex Turcotte each scored, while Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves.

Key Points against the Pittsburgh Penguins

1. Juice is Loose

No one in the Kings lineup has more success against the Pittsburgh Penguins than Swedish superstar Adrian Kempe.

In 13 career games against the Penguins, Kempe has registered 9 goals and 5 assists for 14 points while being a +7. Kempe enters tonight riding a four-game point streak against the Penguins, highlighted by his four-goal game on Dustin Brown's jersey retirement night.

This individual success has guided the Kings to a solid record against the Penguins, sitting at 6-3-4 across these thirteen games. When looking at games to take place at Crypto.com Arena, the Kings are 4-1-1 across Kempe's career.

Look for the Kings and Kempe to continue their strong home ice play against the Penguins tonight.

2. Looking for Double Digits

Tonight, the Kings enter as winners of nine straight games on home ice, looking to reach the ten-in-a-row mark for just the third time in franchise history.

The Penguins are a strong matchup for the Kings to reach this historic mark against, as Pittsburgh sits with a 7-11-5 record on the road, including losing six of their last seven. The Penguins have struggled offensively in road games, seeing a 6% drop in their powerplay and are averaging just 2.91 goals per game.

When looking at tonight's projected goaltender, Alex Nedjelkovic, he has just one win away from PPG Paints Arena this year, sitting with a record of 1-5-3 and a save percentage of .877.

Chance for some history tonight with a win against the Penguins.

3. Lizzo's Return

The Kings welcome back forward Blake Lizotte to LA for the first time tonight.

Standing at just 5'7, 172lbs, Lizotte is a great story. Going undrafted, Lizotte signed as a college free agent with the Kings, eventually spending six seasons with the club. Across those six years, Lizotte collected 45 goals and 73 assists for 118 points in 320 games. Lizotte was a key part of the Kings penalty kill for many years and provided tons of energy as LA's fourth-line center.

Lizotte has seen some nice success to begin his Penguins career, scoring eight goals and adding four assists for 12 points in 32 games. Expect Lizotte to play alongside of Cody Glass and Noel Acciari on the Penguins fourth line tonight.

LA Kings Lineup Notes

Alex Laferriere missed the last two games of the road trip for the Kings, with his situation expected to be a bit longer than day-to-day. Here is how LA lined up against Seattle:

Look across the ice at the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins enter tonight coming off a 4-1 loss in Washington and have won just twice in nine games to start 2025. Here is how they lined up for that game:

The Penguins are led offensively by their top line, with Rust, Rakell, and Crosby being the top three in points. Longtime Anaheim Duck Rickard Rakell leads the Penguins in goals with 23.

Look for goaltender Alex Nedjelkovic to get the start for the Penguins. Nedjelkovic is coming off one of the best goaltending performances the NHL has even seen, registering a goal, an assist, and 40 saves in a win. Overall this year, Nedjelkovic is 8-7-4 with a save percentage of .890 and a goals against average of 3.33.

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 will begin 30 minutes prior. An audio-only feed is available on the ESPN LA App. Go Kings Go!