The Kings are still chasing a playoff spot after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. That game was a low-scoring affair, as the Kings tied it with 6 minutes left in the 3rd before Boston won it in overtime. The Islanders are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues, in which they clawed back from a 3-0 deficit and scored 4 unanswered goals for the win. This game has major implications for both teams as they are both in the playoff race. This is the second matchup between the Kings and Islanders, and the last meeting ended with the Kings winning 5-3.
Kings Projected Lines
Here are the Kings’ projected lines:
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Artemi Panarin – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere
Alex Turcotte – Scott Laughton – Jared Wright
Jeff Malott – Samuel Helenius – Taylor Ward
Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci
Darcy Kuemper
Anton Forsberg
Islanders Projected Lines
Here are the Islanders’ projected lines:
Emil Heineman – Bo Horvat – Calum Ritchie
Ondrej Palat – Brayden Schenn – Mathew Barzal
Anders Lee – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Simon Holmstrom
Max Shabanov – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb
Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo
Carson Soucy – Scott Mayfield
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Ilya Sorokin
David Rittich
Injuries and Line Changes
The Kings have scratched Mathieu Joseph and Jacob Moverare, and they do not have any new injuries to report. The Islanders are scratching Anthony Duclair, Kyle MacLean and Adam Boqvist. Both of these teams are playing their first game of a back-to-back. The Kings are likely going to start Darcy Kuemper, and the Islanders are likely to start Ilya Sorokin.
Key Factors
The Kings will be looking at Darcy Kuemper tonight as he is coming off a 23-save game against Boston, but with the playoffs around the corner, the Kings will need Kuemper at his best, especially during this playoff push. The Kings will also have to beat one of the NHL’s best goalies tonight in Ilya Sorokin, who, in his last 5 starts, has a record of 4-1.
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One of the biggest factors for the Kings tonight will once again be the duo of Panarin and Kempe, as since their 1st game against the Islanders, they have combined for 11 points in the last 4 games, making them a major factor in tonight’s matchup. It is also worth noting that Anze Kopitar is 2 points away from tying Marcel Dionne for the Kings’ franchise points record.
Overall, this is a very important game for both teams: the Islanders look to overtake the Penguins for 2nd in the metro, and the Kings look to move into the 2nd wild card spot.
My predictions for tonight’s matchup are a 4-3 Kings win.
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