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 dwelling, the Kings hit the highway to start out 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 guide 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 aim 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 at the moment in Utah.

After Anton Forsberg acquired the beginning yesterday at dwelling, he would anticipate to see goaltender Darcy Kuemper between the pipes tonight at Delta Center. Kuemper brings with him a 4-0-0 lifetime report in opposition to Utah, delivering a .914 save proportion 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 the 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, he’ll see if he is good to go.

—Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) March 20, 2026

After yesterday’s loss in opposition to Buffalo, Interim Head Coach DJ 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 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 group account, here is how tonight’s hosts lined up final day trip 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 aim and an help again in December. Keller leads his group in assists (45) and factors (67) this season up to now 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 group,

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

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

By my calculations, of the 30 video games that weren’t one-aim video games, eight of these video games had been tied sooner or later within the third interval, together with yesterday’s defeat in opposition to Buffalo. An additional 11 video games had been one-aim video games sooner or later in the course of the third interval. If my numbers are appropriate, that makes 58 of 69 video games that had been inside one aim within the third interval this season.

I did the mathematics by hand, so it might be a recreation or two off in both route, however I feel you get the purpose – principally 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-aim video games is fickle, so they are saying, however successful half of 58 video games performed could be 29 wins, which is another than the Kings have this season and that does not think about a 5-6-0 report 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 group, probably the greatest within the league general. The Sabers are excellent and the sport was aggressive all through. The Kings deserved to be tied within the third interval, which is clearly a well-recognized place for this membership.

Once once more, they got here up brief, which has additionally been a well-recognized 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 group discovered methods to win video games. This group, 69 video games in, is discovering inventive methods to lose them.

At some level, you run out of how to speak about these sorts of conditions. Not each recreation is identical. Some of these 58 video games had been comeback efforts that fell brief. Other leads that weren’t held. Couple of backdoor covers too. But the widespread denominator is that the Kings have constantly performed effectively 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 at the moment and, frankly, possibly even a spot atop the Pacific Division. Instead, the Kings lead the league in extra time defeats. The 39 one-aim 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-aim wins, tied for second within the NHL.

Makes me factor of that Dennis Green publish-recreation rant. they’re who we thought they had 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 fascinated about that yesterday, after the Kings noticed one more tight recreation go the opposite method. The Kings are usually not a nasty group. You do not end up with the possibility to win nearly each evening for those who’re a nasty group. They haven’t proven themselves to be an excellent group both, although. Good groups win extra of these video games than the Kings have.

There is, by some means, nonetheless greater than sufficient time to get into the playoffs. As Connor McDavid put it yesterday, there are lots 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 will possible 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 had been. 13 video games left to point out one thing on the contrary.

3 To Watch For –
– Interim Head Coach DJ Smith went out of his technique to word 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’ll hear from him at Delta Center afterward at the moment about who these gamers would possibly go in for, assuming everybody got here by way of the Buffalo recreation wholesome sufficient to go. So, assuming we must always find out about his selections earlier than the sport.

Looking on the backside six, the fourth line was on the ice for a aim in opposition to versus the Sabres, with a chance to clear the puck out of the zone in opposition to Buffalo’s high line. I do not suppose one aim in opposition to, versus Tage Thompson, is sufficient to advantage popping out essentially, however it could be the primary time he appears to be like in that space.

With the third line, Joel Armia simply returned from harm, so it is doable the Kings don’t desire him going again-to-again. Jared Wright might be an possibility as effectively, though I believed he had one in every of his finest video games yesterday.

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

No skate at the moment, so we wait till nearer to puck drop to know for positive.

– Two stats within the Kings please 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 not too long ago, the Kings received 4-2 on this constructing again in December, one of the vital full 60-minute efforts from the group 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 dwelling. That equals 62 % of their factors on the season, the second-highest proportion 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 straight 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 package deal, FanDuel Sports Network SoCal is obtainable on channel #693 on DirecTV and channel #41 on Spectrum. Hopefully nothing that’s disruptive for these making an attempt to look at 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.