Kings Vs Rangers Game Preview: Kings Looking to Move In Wild Card Spot

The Kings are currently on a 3-game point streak after being defeated by Vegas in overtime and by the Ducks in both games, which went to a shootout and overtime. The Kings have not won a game since January 10th, and if they want to stay in the playoff race, they will need a big win tonight against a struggling New York Rangers team. The Rangers are coming into this game after losing to the Ducks 5-3 last night. The Kings need to take full advantage tonight and walk away with a win so they can still be in the playoff race. 

Here are the projected lines for the Kings tonight: 

Corey Perry - Alex Laferriere - Adrian Kempe

Warren Foegele - Quinton Byfield - Joel Armia

Kevin Fiala - Alex Turcotte - Andrei Kuzmenko

Jeff Malott - Samuel Helenius - Taylor Ward

Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty

Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke

Brian Dumoulin - Cody Ceci

Darcy Kuemper

Anton Forsberg

Here are the projected lines for the Rangers tonight: 

J.T. Miller - Mika Zibanejad - Gabe Perreault

Artemi Panarin - Vincent Trocheck - Alexis Lafreniere

Brennan Othmann - Noah Laba - Will Cuylle

Taylor Raddysh - Sam Carrick - Jonny Brodzinski

Vladislav Gavrikov - Braden Schneider

Matthew Robertson - Will Borgen

Carson Soucy - Scott Morrow

Jonathan Quick

Spencer Martin

The Kings get Corey Perry back after he missed 3 games to attend to a family matter. The Kings also sent Andre Lee to the Ontario Reign on Monday. The Rangers are getting back Carson Soucy after he missed the last 2 games due to the birth of his child. The Kings will be starting Darcy Kuemper tonight after Anton Forsberg started in the 2-1 overtime loss against the Ducks. The Rangers are starting former King Johnathan Quick, and this game could be his last game in Los Angeles. 

The last 2 games the Kings have played have shown some issues that have cost them games this season. In the first game against the Ducks, the Kings led 2-0 but lost 3-2. So if they find themselves with a lead tonight, they have to do a better job of protecting it while also maintaining their momentum throughout the game. 

In the 2nd game against the Ducks, the Kings scored 1 goal, all on the power play, which has not been very successful, ranking 29th in the NHL. While that power-play goal was good for the Kings, they went 1/6 on the power play throughout the game, which was more than enough chances to win. 

The Rangers' penalty kill ranks 15th in the NHL, and if the Kings get a power play, they need to score more often to not only win games but also get into the playoffs. The Kings are currently on a 3-game losing skid, during which all 3 games went into overtime. 

The Rangers have been struggling as of late, and Johnathan Quick is on a 4-game losing skid, where his best save percentage in those 4 games was .893. The Kings are desperate for a win, and tonight is the perfect opportunity for them to do so. If they can capitalize on the man advantage and protect a lead, they will walk away with a win tonight. 

My prediction for tonight's game is a 3-1 Kings victory.