3/22 Preview – Close Games, Close Defeats + Lineup Changes Expected, LAK/UTA History, FDSN So-Cal Tonight

TODAY’S MATCHUP: Following two missed alternatives at residence, the Kings hit the street to begin a 3-recreation journey, starting this night in opposition to the Utah Mammoth.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Forward Joel Armia scored two targets when these groups met in Utah earlier this season to steer the Kings to a 4-2 victory over the Mammoth. Forward Adrian Kempe additionally collected a number of factors in that recreation, as he scored a objective and added an help. Kempe has 5 factors (2-3-5) in 4 profession video games versus the Mammoth.

KINGS VITALS: With the again-to-again and flight, the Kings didn’t maintain a morning skate immediately in Utah.

After Anton Forsberg bought the beginning yesterday at residence, would anticipate to see goaltender Darcy Kuemper between the pipes tonight at Delta Center. Kuemper brings with him a 4-0-0 lifetime file in opposition to Utah, delivering a .914 save share and a 2.25 targets-in opposition to common in these 4 begins.

Anticipating a few modifications for the Kings tonight, however right here is final recreation’s Kings lineup under for reference –

Tonight’s @LAKings Line Rushes –

Panarin – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Byfield – Laferriere
Turcotte – Laughton – Wright
Malott – Helenius – Ward

Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Ceci

Kuemper
Forsberg

Kempe takes rushes, will see if he’s good to go.

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 20, 2026

After yesterday’s loss in opposition to Buffalo, Interim Head Coach D.J. Smith spoke about seeking to put Alex Turcotte and Mathieu Joseph into the lineup tonight in Utah. Unsure if each will play, or the place, however search for the potential of a few modifications for the Kings this night. Defenseman Jacob Moverare can also be on the journey and able to go ought to the Kings make a change on the blueline.

MAMMOTH VITALS: Utah enters tonight’s recreation with a 5-level cushion on the second wild-card spot within the Western Conference, because it continues to maneuver in direction of securing the primary playoff berth in franchise historical past.

Per the Mammoth crew account, right here’s how tonight’s hosts lined up final outing versus Anaheim –

Friday evening lineup pic.twitter.com/n28a3jc7nR

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) March 21, 2026

Forward Clayton Keller had a multi-level recreation within the first assembly of the season, as he collected a objective and an help again in December. Keller leads his crew in assists (45) and factors (67) this season to this point and is on tempo for his fourth consecutive season with not less than 75 factors. Former Kings defenseman Sean Durzi will play tonight in opposition to his former crew,

Storyline Of The Day – Are They Who We Thought They Were
Under D.J. Smith, the Kings have performed ten video games. Eight of these 10 video games have been tied within the third interval, whereas the opposite two have been multi-objective victories. The Kings have solely received two of these eight video games, with a 2-4-2 file in these eight contests. You clearly don’t want me to elucidate that it’s not a brand new development. If you’d just like the numbers although…….

The Kings have performed 39 one-objective video games this season out of the 69 they’ve performed in whole, which leaves 30 video games determined by a couple of objective.

By my calculations, of the 30 video games that weren’t one-objective video games, eight of these video games have been tied in some unspecified time in the future within the third interval, together with yesterday’s defeat in opposition to Buffalo. An extra 11 video games have been one-objective video games in some unspecified time in the future in the course of the third interval. If my numbers are right, that makes 58 of 69 video games that have been inside one objective within the third interval this season.

I did the maths by hand, so it may very well be a recreation or two off in both route, however I feel you get the purpose – mainly each single evening, the sport is up for grabs in the course of the third interval.

Odds would possibly say you win half of these video games. Record in a single-objective video games is fickle, so they are saying, however profitable half of 58 video games performed can be 29 wins, which is yet one more than the Kings have this season and that doesn’t consider a 5-6-0 file within the video games that fall exterior of that description, which might imply an extra 5 wins. Last evening was one other within the bunch. The Kings skated with the NHL’s hottest crew, among the best within the league total. The Sabres are superb and the sport was aggressive all through. The Kings deserved to be tied within the third interval, which is clearly a well-known place for this membership.

Once once more, they got here up brief, which has additionally been a well-known place for the membership this season. Some groups discover methods to win video games and others discover methods to lose them. Last season’s Kings crew discovered methods to win video games. This crew, 69 video games in, is discovering artistic methods to lose them.

At some level, you run out of how to speak about these sorts of conditions. Not each recreation is similar. Some of these 58 video games have been comeback efforts that fell brief. Others leads that weren’t held. Couple of backdoor covers too. But the widespread denominator is that the Kings have constantly performed properly sufficient to place themselves in positions to win video games this season. They have additionally constantly discovered methods to not win these video games. It is the distinction between some extent exterior a playoff spot as of immediately and, frankly, possibly even a spot atop the Pacific Division. Instead, the Kings lead the league in additional time defeats. The 39 one-objective video games they’ve performed are tied with the Dallas Stars for the NHL lead. Dallas has factors in 35 of these video games, in comparison with 33 for the Kings. Very shut. The distinction is that the Stars have 24 one-objective wins, tied for second within the NHL.

Makes me factor of that Dennis Green publish-recreation rant. they’re who we thought they have been. Remember that one?

Pretty epic. They used to play it on Sports Center on a regular basis after I was rising up.

I used to be occupied with that yesterday, after the Kings noticed yet one more tight recreation go the opposite method. The Kings should not a foul crew. You don’t end up with the possibility to win nearly each evening if you happen to’re a foul crew. They haven’t proven themselves to be an excellent crew both, although. Good groups win extra of these video games than the Kings have.

There is, one way or the other, nonetheless greater than sufficient time to get into the playoffs. As Connor McDavid put it yesterday, there are a variety of groups lucky to play on this division, in a “pillow fight” for the playoffs. The Kings will proceed to have alternatives to win video games within the third interval. 13 video games remaining. History suggests they’ll doubtless have, what, 10 or 11 of these alternatives down the stretch?

Until these video games begin going the opposite method, they’re who we thought they have been. 13 video games left to indicate one thing on the contrary.

3 To Watch For –
– Interim Head Coach D.J. Smith went out of his method to observe that he would possibly make a few lineup modifications up entrance this night.

“We’re traveling and it’s a back-to-back, so I’ll look to put some new guys in tomorrow and have some fresh guys in. I’ve got Turc and Jo, and we’ve got to win ourselves a game.”

Snith has been fairly forthcoming in his pre-recreation media availabilities and we are going to hear from him at Delta Center in a while immediately on who these gamers would possibly go in for, assuming everybody got here by means of the Buffalo recreation wholesome sufficient to go. So, assuming we must always find out about his choices earlier than the sport.

Looking on the backside six, the fourth line was on the ice for a objective in opposition to versus the Sabres, with a possibility to clear the puck out of the zone in opposition to Buffalo’s prime line. I don’t suppose one objective in opposition to, versus Tage Thompson, is sufficient to advantage popping out essentially, nevertheless it could be the primary time he seems in that space.

With the third line, Joel Armia simply returned from harm, so it’s attainable the Kings don’t need him going again-to-again. Jared Wright may very well be an choice as properly, although I believed he had one in every of his finest video games yesterday.

Remains to be seen. Turcotte and Joseph are extra velocity centered than conventional fourth-line gamers, so these two guys provide a special look to the group. So, if the Kings wish to change the look of their backside six, they might insert some velocity with these two gamers to shake issues up a bit.

No skate immediately, so we wait till nearer to puck drop to know for positive.

– Two stats within the Kings favor this night.

Los Angeles and Utah have squared off twice for the reason that Mammoth entered the NHL. The Kings have received all 4 video games, together with two performed right here at Delta Center. Most lately, the Kings received 4-2 on this constructing again in December, one of many extra full 60-minute efforts from the crew this season .

Additionally, the Kings enter tonight’s recreation with the sixth-most away factors this season. Los Angeles has collected 44 of its 71 factors this season away from residence. That equates to 62 % of their factors on the season, the second-highest share within the NHL behind solely the New York Rangers.

– Lastly, a reminder for these watching that tonight’s recreation is on FanDuel Sports Network So-Cal, not FanDuel Sports Network West.

For those that have subscribed immediately through FanDuel and watch on their web site or their app, I’ve confirmed that these subscriptions will nonetheless work as they at all times have. It must be no modifications to that viewing sample.

For these watching through a cable or tv bundle, FanDuel Sports Network SoCal is out there on channel #693 on DirecTV and channel #41 on Spectrum. Hopefully nothing that’s disruptive for these making an attempt to observe within the LA market.

Kings and Mammoth, as a 3-recreation roadtrip begins this night for the Kings in Utah. Big two factors on the road at Delta Center.