3/16 Preview – Bread on Menu at MSG + Kempe Expected, Couple Game-Time Decisions, Special Teams Opportunity

TODAY’S MATCHUP: The Kings conclude a 5-recreation highway journey this night in New York City, as they go to the New York Rangers to conclude the season collection.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Forward Anze Kopitar has eight assists over his final eight video games performed in opposition to the Rangers, as he’ll play his closing recreation at Madison Square Garden tonight. Forward Artemi Panarin is about to play his first recreation in opposition to the Rangers since 2019, when he scored a purpose to assist lead Columbus to a 3-2 victory over New York. Panarin has collected a degree in 9 consecutive video games performed in opposition to the Rangers, relationship again to 2016.

KINGS VITALS: The Kings held a full-crew morning skate prematurely of tonight’s recreation.

Goaltender Darcy Kuemper was off the ice first this morning in New York, pointing in direction of him beginning the journey finale tonight in opposition to the Rangers. Kuemper has a lifetime report of 10-4-0 versus New York, with a .906 save proportion and a 2.67 objectives-in opposition to common.

Sounds like there might be a few recreation-time choices tonight, so sharing final recreation’s lineup 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

—Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 13, 2026

Forward Adrian Kempe didn’t skate this morning, with Interim DJ Smith calling it “maintenance” associated, including that he expects Kempe to play this night in opposition to the Rangers. Smith added that there are a few gamers banged up, so we’ll have to attend for warmups to see who performs. I do suppose that Alex Turcotte might be again in, with him and defenseman Jacob Moverare the choices to examine in, ought to the Kings wish to or must make any strikes.

VITAL RANGERS: New York enters tonight’s motion on a 4-recreation profitable streak, prolonged by sweeping a two-recreation journey in opposition to Minnesota and Winnipeg.

Per Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic, here is how the Rangers lined up final day trip in opposition to the Wild –

#NYR warmup rushes for recreation No. 66 vs. #mnwild at Grand Casino Arena:

Perreault – Zibanejad – Lafrenière
Cuylle–Trocheck–Miller
Kartye–Laba–Sheary
Raddysh – Edström – Chmelař

Gavrikov–Fox
Robertson–Schneider
Vaakanainen – Borgen

Shesterkin
fast

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) March 14, 2026

Reports from New York Rangers morning skate pointed in direction of goaltender Igor Shesterkin getting the beginning tonight for the hosts, denying us one closing alternative to see Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick share the ice collectively. Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov is predicted to go well with up for the Rangers, nevertheless, coming off a 3-level efficiency (1-2-3) in Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Minnesota.

Storyline Of The Day – Bread Is On The Menu
From 2019-20 via 2024-25, solely three gamers within the NHL recorded extra factors on residence ice than Artemi Panarin.

So, as Panarin enters Madison Square Garden this night, he’ll be getting ready to play hockey in a spot that he has been extraordinarily profitable in over the six full seasons he spent taking part in for the New York Rangers.

One apparent distinction, although, as he’ll head to the visiting dressing room for the primary time since April 2019, when he final performed on this constructing for the away crew, as he scored a purpose to assist lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-2 shootout win over the Rangers. Which brings up one other theme.

While Panarin has had a lot success with the Rangers, he is additionally had loads of success in opposition to them. In 12 profession video games performed in opposition to New York, Panarin has scored 12 objectives, his highest objectives-per-recreation tempo in opposition to any opponent apart from the Utah Mammoth. Now taking part in his hockey in Los Angeles, the Kings want Panarin to proceed on that path, of discovering success at Madison Square Garden, no matter what jersey he is sporting.

“I’m excited for him, but we need the points,” Interim Head Coach DJ Smith stated of Panarin’s return to New York. “Once that puck drops, we need the points. The accolades and all those things are great, but at the end of the day, I think every guy in that room knows where we want to go and we’ve got to push and get ourselves a win.”

Similar in some ways to Anze Kopitar’s emotions after a particular night time in New Jersey, individually.

Great accomplishment, however he needs the win. Panarin actually understands the nostalgia right here and he had so many excellent recollections with the Rangers, together with two journeys to the Eastern Conference Finals. He spoke extraordinarily kindly of the fan assist he obtained as a Ranger and contemplating the way in which he left, by way of an organizational resolution, not a private resolution, you’ll anticipate a really heat reception from Rangers followers tonight as he comes again with Los Angeles.

It’s one thing that he actually deserves, despite the fact that in case you ask him, he may’ve most well-liked it to return subsequent season.

“I wish it was going to be next year but I’ve got to deal with it very soon,” Panarin stated. “I’ll probably try to be more relaxed, but I’m sure I will be a bit nervous. I’m just going to play my game, I try to be smart with that. I’m obviously excited to see the fans.”

It’s emotional to return to a spot you spent a lot time in. There’s the morning skate, if you see enviornment workers, former teammates, coaches and crew staffers, media members, tons of people that had been an on a regular basis a part of your life. Then you stroll into the rink for the sport, however it’s off a bus from the lodge. It’s completely different. It’s not simply one other highway recreation, however it’s not residence anymore, both. I’d anticipate a pleasant video tribute to Panarin in the course of the first interval and that needs to be an opportunity for Rangers followers to point out their appreciation.

Will he get emotional in that second?

“Depends which video they show,” he stated with fun.

Moments of emotion, inside 60 minutes of essential hockey for Panarin and his teammates.

The Kings want a win tonight and Panarin has 12 factors (3-9-12) in his first 10 video games performed with the group. He’s been part of a resurgent prime line that is seen each Kopitar and Adrian Kempe ship a few of their finest video games of the season since Panarin got here on board. Kempe has an eight-recreation scoring streak, tied for the longest energetic streak within the NHL, whereas Kopitar has seven factors (3-4-7) over his final seven video games performed.

The widespread theme of these eight video games is that it was when that line was put collectively, eight video games in the past. Panarin has been the whole lot the Kings acquired him to be and with a giant recreation tonight, they will want him to do what he is accomplished for thus a few years – produced beneath the brilliant lights of Madison Square Garden.

Exactly what he is hoping to do.

“We’re battling for the playoffs, so I don’t have time for that emotion,” Panarin added this morning. “Just excited to play at MSG again.”

3 To Watch For –
– So, with that in thoughts, the Kings do have the chance tonight to complete their 5-recreation journey with a report of three-1-1.

“You get to the end of the road trip, you get a little bit tired and mentally, whatever, but good teams find a way to buckle down at the end of a trip, detail and structure, allow the individual to play,” Interim Head Coach DJ Smith stated. “Then you’ve just got to play hard and let the chips fall where they may.”

I feel that will be the baseline of what you’d take into account to be a profitable journey. In November, you’re taking that journey each time. Seven of 10 factors in opposition to 5 groups within the Eastern Conference, with two again-to-backs, that is an superior journey truly. The Kings ought to’ve gotten one thing from Saturday’s recreation although and the Boston recreation simply may’ve gone both manner. With the place the Kings are at within the standings, seeing a 3rd-interval lead slip away is a tricky one to take. They doubtless will not end the season undefeated, so whereas it may have been extra, if you look at what was obtainable for the taking in New Jersey particularly, 3-1-1 continues to be a profitable journey if the Kings can win tonight.

What could be accomplished this night in New York is retaining peace. Tonight is Game 66 for the Kings, which implies there are 16 video games remaining on the common-season schedule at the conclusion of tonight’s recreation. With a victory, the Kings would transfer again right into a tie for the second wild-card place within the Western Conference, remaining inside a stone’s throw of upper groups within the standings.

So, to gather seven of 10 factors would make for a suitable journey. Two residence video games arising at the tip of the week in opposition to Philadelphia and Buffalo earlier than a brief journey in opposition to Utah, Calgary and Vancouver. Just feels just like the Kings cannot afford to lose every night time, so this one particularly, in opposition to a crew that traded their finest participant to Los Angeles final month, is a vital one.

A win tonight sends the Kings residence nearer than after they left and there’s something to be taken from that.

– It’s felt like one step ahead and one step again for the Kings on particular groups.

Looking at the beginning of the journey, the Kings turned in an amazing 4-of-4 displaying in Boston and adopted that up with three kills on three possibilities in opposition to the Islanders. It felt like momentum being constructed. Until it wasn’t.

The Kings received tagged for 2 energy-play objectives in opposition to within the third interval on Saturday, each objectives that gave New Jersey a lead off a tie recreation. With the margin for error being what it’s, although, the Kings wanted a kind of two within the third interval at least. They received scored on twice to sign their destiny in a disappointing defeat.

The powerful half is, too, that the Kings scored twice on the ability play themselves in that recreation, with each of these objectives coming with the crew trailing. That’s large and, frankly, a protracted-time coming for a bunch that has actually improved their high quality of possibilities on the ability play as of late, regardless of not seeing the reward for it. It’s appeared harmful for a while now and that hazard became two objectives. They received that reward in opposition to New Jersey however it washed out the objectives in opposition to, somewhat than separated the Kings.

“Right now, every game is like a playoff game, the margins are so little and special teams is an area where I think we can try and get an advantage on the other team,” ahead Alex Laferriere stated this morning. “Last game, our power play was good, penalty kill wasn’t so great, the other games our penalty kill has been great and the power play hasn’t. I think if we’re able to get those two synced up, we’re going to be pretty dangerous.”

Certainly an space that may make or break issues over these closing 17 video games.

– Lastly, seems like warmups tonight might be much like what we noticed in New Jersey, with the Kings that includes greater than 18 skaters.

Smith stated that there are a few guys banged up, which is unsurprising contemplating he stated the identical factor earlier than the sport in opposition to the Devils. As famous above, Kempe did not skate this morning however is predicted to play tonight. So, I’d think about that each one 13 forwards on the journey go well with up, maybe defenseman Jacob Moverare as properly, and we’ll see what we get some warmups this night. Tends to be the case generally at this level within the season.

Kings and Rangers, highway journey finale tonight at Madison Square Garden earlier than a few video games in Los Angeles later this week. Big two factors, an opportunity to make for a strong journey with a win tonight.