WHO: Los Angeles Kings (14-8-9) vs. Dallas Stars (21-7-5)
WHAT: 2025-26 Common-Season Recreation 32/82
WHEN: Monday, December 15 @ 5:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: American Airways Heart – Dallas, TX
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: FanDuel Sports activities Community – AUDIO – ESPN LA 710, ESPN LA App & LA Kings App – TWITTER: @jaredshafran & @lakings
TODAY’S MATCHUP: The Kings start a three-game street journey in Dallas tonight, visiting the Stars for the second time this season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Monday’s battle is the second of three whole matchups between the Kings and Stars, with the third and closing additionally to be performed on a Monday in LA subsequent month on January 12. Ahead Adrian Kempe gave the Kings a 3-2 time beyond regulation win within the first contest on October 23 in Dallas. Final season, the Kings gained two of the three conferences in opposition to the Stars, each of which got here at Crypto.com Area. Ahead Warren Foegele led the group with three targets and 4 factors within the sequence a yr in the past and has scored 9 factors in his profession vs. Dallas (6-3=9), whereas Joel Armia has posted a team-high plus-5 ranking in 23 video games with 10 factors on six targets and 4 assists.
KINGS VITALS: After a Sunday spent touring, the Kings held a full group morning skate immediately.
That’s, for individuals who are wholesome. LA will probably be with out forwards Quinton Byfield and Phillip Danault tonight, who per head coach Jim Hiller, are each out because of the flu. For Danault, it is going to be the second straight recreation he’s missed after he was scratched on Saturday vs. Calgary.
Darcy Kuemper was the primary goaltender off the ice, indicating he’ll make his second consecutive begin in web. Kuemper was glorious as soon as once more in Saturday’s time beyond regulation loss to Calgary, stopping 36 pictures earlier than surrendering an time beyond regulation winner on a 2-on-1. Towards the Stars, Kuemper has a profession document of 10-7-3 and a 0.911 save proportion in 20 appearances.
With out two of their prime three facilities, right here’s how the Kings aligned throughout this morning’s on-ice session –
Kuzmenko – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Turcotte – Moore
Foegele – Laferriere – Armia
Malott – Helenius – Perry
Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Ceci
Moverare
Kuemper / Forsberg
Andrei Kuzmenko is ready to make his return and is anticipated to be again alongside Kopitar and Kempe, two linemates he’s had loads of expertise enjoying with. The flu bug can even elevate Alex Turcotte, who is anticipated to be deployed between Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore. An enormous alternative for Turc, who performed over 14 minutes with Danault out on Saturday, and likewise noticed reps with the second energy play unit in the course of the latter portion of immediately’s skate. Defensively, the three pairings we’ve seen not too long ago are anticipated to stay intact, however ought to a change be needed, Jacob Moverare is on the market to verify again in.
STARS VITALS: Dallas has dropped back-to-back contests this week after posting a latest 11-game level streak, which spanned from Nov. 20 by means of Dec. 9 and propelled them up the standings into second place in each the Central Division and your entire NHL behind Colorado. The Stars fell by a 5-2 rating to Minnesota on Thursday earlier than getting blanked for the primary time this season by Florida, 4-0.
Dallas held an optionally available morning skate immediately. Per Sam Nestler with DLLS Sports activities, right here’s how the group lined up at first of their final recreation on Saturday in opposition to the Panthers –
Stars warmup traces vs Florida:
Metal – Johnston – Rantanen
Robertson – Hintz – Benn
Hryckowian – Duchene – Bourque
Bäck – Faksa – BlackwellLindell – Heiskanen
Capobianco – Lyubushkin
Harley – PetrovicOettinger
DeSmith— Sam Nestler (@samnestler) December 14, 2025
Per Brian Rea of the Stars, it’ll be Casey DeSmith in between the pipes for Dallas, and Nils Lundkvist checking in on the again finish instead of Capobianco. DeSmith is 7-1-3 on the yr in 11 contests with a 0.920 save proportion, however is simply 1-4-0 in 5 profession matchups vs. LA with a 0.853 save proportion and a 3.97 goals-against. The Stars are additionally with out veteran ahead Tyler Seguin, who’s out long-term after struggling an ACL harm earlier this month.
A trio of All-Star attackers paved the way for Dallas up entrance, with Mikko Rantanen (42 factors), Jason Robertson (40 factors) and Wyatt Johnston (37 factors) offering the majority of the group’s offense, which ranks sixth within the league, scoring a mean of three.27 targets per recreation. Rantanen has 11 factors (5-6=11) in his final six video games in opposition to the Kings and has totaled 42 factors (15-27=42) in 31 profession video games vs. LA which is probably the most amongst Dallas skaters, whereas Robertson, a California native, has 17 factors (7-10=17) in 12 video games in opposition to the Kings. His 1.42 factors per recreation common is the very best within the NHL amongst gamers who’ve performed LA at the very least 5 occasions. 18 of the Stars 21 wins have are available regulation, which is tied for the second-most ROW within the NHL this yr.
Storyline Of The Day –
Because the Kings get set for Recreation 32 of 82 on the yr, they nonetheless discover themselves looking for some strategy to be extra harmful on the facility play.
Up to now, nothing they’ve tried within the first 31 video games has led to any consistency. The 5-forward unit that produced very profitable outcomes after the commerce deadline final season was unable to maintain opponents on their heels because it had beforehand. Whether or not different groups watching and learning video modified the way in which they defend the assault, or if one thing else modified with the group, it wasn’t working, and personnel adjustments had been wanted.
First, it was Brandt Clarke who acquired a possibility with the primary unit, after which Drew Doughty changed him as soon as he returned from harm 10 days in the past. And sure, the group has scored twice over that five-game span, but it surely’s onerous to say the group has been jumpstarted as of late, both.
Hiller wasn’t too displeased with the unit in Wednesday’s time beyond regulation loss to Seattle, which included a 3rd interval man-advantage purpose by Kevin Fiala to offer them a lead, however went 1-for-5 total.
“We acquired within the zone and we had quite a lot of pucks bouncing round in entrance of their web, so we weren’t perimeter,” Hiller stated of their total seems to be on the 5 possibilities. “You’re hoping that a kind of simply finally ends up on a stick, we’re round it, however we didn’t get that bounce. The blokes executed rather well on the entry and so we’ll take one, however we had an opportunity for extra.”
Regardless of the shortage of total offensive manufacturing, the Kings have nonetheless discovered themselves in video games each night time due to their group protection and well timed goaltending. And so they’ve persistently discovered methods to select up factors, whether or not or not it’s from wins or time beyond regulation losses, with 37 whole coming from 23 of their 31 video games (14 wins, 9 OTL). That’s good for third place within the Pacific Division, in playoff place and definitely nothing to sneeze at.
“I imply, we’re in a great place, actually,” stated captain Anze Kopitar of the place the Kings sit after Saturday’s time beyond regulation loss to Calgary. “We’ve acquired to discover a strategy to rating extra targets, clearly beginning with energy play. We’ve got to determine one thing out, discover one thing so as to jumpstart the offense.”
Discovering a strategy to get even a number of extra man-advantage targets would make a giant distinction. In the event that they’d carried out so over the previous few weeks, perhaps they wouldn’t have had so many contests go to time beyond regulation, they usually’d be even increased within the standings.
Whereas the group’s 13 energy play targets aren’t the least within the league, the general conversion fee of 13.7% ranks on the backside amongst all groups.
The massive query is: How can they obtain higher outcomes?
More often than not, gamers will level to getting again to fundamentals, and we’ve definitely heard that a number of occasions from totally different voices this season.
“Simplify, first, I feel,” Kopitar stated as a response when requested what step one is to getting the facility play again the place he needs it to be. “Simply getting extra pucks to the online after which seeing if we will create one thing off of that.”
After alluding to the facility play’s struggles being a ache level for the group, defenseman Brian Dumoulin instructed one thing else that wasn’t even a particular groups tactic, saying that the group must discover a strategy to have extra alternatives with an additional man. That’s not solely as much as them, however penalties drawn are normally a mirrored image of how onerous a group is working. On the very least, Dumoulin felt a key may be to discover a strategy to have extra energy performs than their opponents, one thing which hasn’t been the case in any of LA’s previous 4 video games.
Wanting on the entire season, the Kings have drawn 95 energy play alternatives, which ranks 18th-most within the 32-team league, definitely not an alarmingly low quantity. Comparatively, they’ve been shorthanded 103 occasions and have allowed opponents to attain on 20.4% of their possibilities.
As for tonight, with each Kuzmenko anticipated to be again on the highest unit, and Turcotte becoming a member of the second grouping, Hiller stated they count on the Stars to defend the decrease a part of the zone, so we might even see the group use the purpose extra.
“Dallas does a fairly good job down low, so we have to simply attempt to ship some pucks the place the open space is,” Hiller stated. “We all know that, after which we simply should be there, display screen, create some rebounds and chaos. If you’re struggling, the right purpose typically doesn’t seem, and we’ve seen that, so we’ve simply acquired to get greasy.”
Turcotte additionally talked about that when the group practiced throughout morning skate, they had been seeking to get as many pictures as potential from their quarterback.
“I feel for us, being the second unit, we’ve simply acquired to get pucks to the online and create havoc there,” Turcotte stated. “I feel that’s what we did in apply immediately, quite a lot of pictures from Clark, that’s going to be open, so simply getting it to the online. We gained’t have an excessive amount of time, anyway, so we’ve acquired to profit from it and simply create havoc and hopefully get a greasy rebound purpose.”
Ahead Kevin Fiala, who scored that almost all latest purpose in Seattle, stated he’s extra inspired by the way in which they’ve been enjoying of late and thinks they’ve been bettering.
“I feel the facility play has been shifting means higher currently,” Fiala stated after the morning skate. “We scored a purpose in Seattle, and I feel it’s feeling means higher. The motions and stuff, it’s getting in there. The positions had been again to what we had earlier than, so I really feel like all people feels good.”
In an effort to discover a optimistic final result tonight in Dallas, the play on particular groups will definitely be a precedence.
3 To Watch For –
– The place would the Kings be in the event that they didn’t have Darcy Kuemper? A query that definitely was requested final season when the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native went 31-11-7 in 50 begins with a 0.921 save proportion and a 2.02 goals-against common to complete as a finalist for the league’s Vezina Trophy.
It’s been extra of the identical standout play as of late for the goaltender, who’s 10-6-6 this yr with a 0.916 save proportion and a 2.21 GAA in 22 appearances. Kuemper hasn’t allowed greater than two targets in any of his final 5 begins, however has solely gained two of these video games. All of his final six losses have been by only one purpose, supporting the speculation that the Kings have been in each recreation.
“He’s our spine. He has been since he arrived, and he’s the spine of the group. He was final yr, and he carried that on this yr,” stated Jim Hiller after the group’s most up-to-date apply on Friday.
That was earlier than Kuemper had one in every of his finest efforts of the season in opposition to Calgary to maintain his group within the recreation. Regardless of the time beyond regulation loss, LA by no means trailed regardless of getting out-shot 38-21 total within the contest.
“He was the rationale why we acquired the one level,” Kopitar stated. “The second interval, he was excellent. I imply, he’s been excellent all yr and final yr. We virtually take it as a right. We’ve acquired to search out methods to attain extra targets and provides him some run assist.”
Dumoulin echoed Kopitar’s ideas, utilizing the phrase “phenomenal” to explain Kuemper’s effort.
“On their energy play and at even energy, he made quite a lot of big-time saves, was actually good along with his rebound management and gave us an opportunity there,” Dumoulin stated.
Hiller has been requested a number of occasions within the final week about his goaltender’s outlook for Group Canada on the upcoming Olympics in February and though he did point out that his opinion doesn’t rely, saying “they don’t ask me”, his efficiency has definitely put him in competition for a roster spot. Taking a look at extra than simply the numbers, watching what he has carried out persistently over the physique of the previous two seasons, he’s proper up there with anybody within the league.
“It simply appears fairly apparent, the way in which he’s performed, that he needs to be in severe consideration,” Hiller stated of Kuemper’s possibilities at being chosen. “Not simply this yr, proper? Let’s take it proper again. He’s been simply unbelievable for us. Biased or not, it will be onerous to say that he doesn’t should be there.”
One other likelihood tonight for Kuemper to show himself on the street in opposition to the most effective offenses within the recreation. Absolutely the oldsters who will probably be making selections for Canada will probably be watching.
– As talked about above, sickness is as soon as once more dictating adjustments to the Kings ahead traces. It’s been a really inconsistent grouping this season for various causes. Clearly, generally there are gamers down with accidents, as was the case with Warren Foegele a number of weeks in the past, different occasions the alignment adjustments on account of efficiency, and that has been seen with Kuzmenko as of late, who has been a wholesome scratch on 5 separate events.
Jim Hiller did reveal that he and his teaching workers mentioned going with 11 forwards and 7 defenders, a glance that they had been very snug with final season, however stated in the end the choice was made to deliver Kuzmenko again in on account of their thinness down the center and the truth that Laferriere will probably be shifting over to play heart.
That can result in extra alternative for Turcotte, who Hiller want to get extra offense from with out sacrificing his higher defensive play of late.
“Simply proceed what he did final recreation,” Hiller stated of what he’d wish to see from the younger pivot. “We didn’t have a robust offensive recreation in opposition to Calgary, however Turc performed rather well defensively. He’s on the facility play tonight, so simply typically an elevated function for him, let’s see if that may assist his confidence.”
When requested about having the prospect to play alongside Fiala, Turcotte stated he’s not seeking to overthink issues, however that he undoubtedly understands it’s an awesome alternative.
“Making an attempt not to consider it an excessive amount of, truthfully,” Turcotte stated. “Simply exit and play, have enjoyable, do the very best I can. Clearly, it’s robust with these guys out, however simply going to exit and play my recreation and take advantage of out of it. We had been speaking about it immediately a bit of bit, I nonetheless should assault, you continue to should play your recreation. You may’t simply defer. I’m going to attempt to get him the puck as a lot as I can, however I nonetheless should take it to the online if I’ve the prospect or shoot if I’ve the prospect.”
It’ll be the primary time we’ve seen Fiala and Turcotte get a run collectively, and Fiala stated he’s enthusiastic about enjoying with a participant like Turcotte.
“I feel it’s straightforward to play with him,” Fiala stated of his new linemate. “He works onerous, grinds, goes to get the puck, backchecks, he performs onerous and he does every part. He could make performs, he sees the eyes, he can shoot the puck, you already know what you get from him, and that’s nice.”
– Nothing new right here for you, Insiders, however needed to spotlight one other stretch of excellence by Kopitar within the faceoff circle. As he has been all through his profession, the captain is grinding away on the dot and popping out with distinctive outcomes.
Kopitar has been on the ice to take greater than 20 faceoffs in six of the Kings final seven video games, whereas enjoying over 19 minutes in 4 of these contests.
On Saturday, in a recreation the place faceoffs had been essential for the Kings as they took quite a lot of them in their very own zone, Kopitar gained 19 of 27, a hit fee of 70.4%. I requested him afterward what’s been working for him.
“I suppose work out what I’m going to do and simply type of sticking to my gameplan,” Kopitar stated.
Towards Seattle, it was 20 faceoff wins from a season-high 31 attracts for the Slovenian. After a win in Utah final Monday night time, which included 23 faceoffs, Jim Hiller confirmed he’s going to his chief for these vital attracts late in video games.
“I stored him busy there, for positive, however he was good,” Hiller stated. “He gained these large faceoffs. I used to be leaning on him so much, and that stick is heavy when he will get it on the dot.”
One in every of his longtime linemates, Adrian Kempe, additionally gave some extra perception not too long ago.
“He’s the most effective within the league, has been for the final 20 years, so it’s fairly good to be on the market with him, whether or not it’s within the d-zone or the o-zone,” Kempe stated. “You just about count on him to win each faceoff, and he’s so good at it, so it’s an awesome asset to have, and for the coaches to place him on the market, you’re fairly assured that he’s going to win.”
The puck drops in Dallas at 5 p.m. Pacific time later this afternoon! Tune in on FanDuel Sports activities West with John Kelly alongside former Kings ahead Tony Granato on the decision. Extra on Tony filling in, courtesy of Zach Dooley, right here! I’ll be again tonight with the sport thread and a recap after the ultimate horn.
Leave a Reply