{ "blocks": [ { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The Los Angeles Kings host the Minnesota Wild for the second-of-three meetings between the two clubs this season." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "In their last game back on November 5^th, 2024, in Minnesota, the Kings walked out the victor, 5-1. LA Forward Trevor Lewis, who has since been sidelined with a lower body injury, recorded both his 100^th and 101^st NHL career goals. While his injury would normally result in another Forward checking into the lineup, Head Coach Jim Hiller could go with an 11-7 format; a recipe that worked in the Kings’ 3-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The Wild come into this one hot, riding a five-game winning streak (7-2-1 in their last ten games played)." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "In both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 NHL regular seasons, the Kings and Wild met three times. Interestingly, the Kings won the first-two games in each season’s series and lost the third. If history is to repeat itself, expect a win for LA this evening and a loss in the final season meeting on March 17^th, 2025." } }, { "id": "rkjwq6e2-nj4o63u6", "type": "embed", "data": { "service": "twitter", "source": "https://twitter.com/DooleyLAK/status/1865472343256207535", "embed": "https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=1865472343256207535", "caption": "" } }, { "type": "header", "data": { "text": "WE’RE GOING STREAKING!", "level": 2 } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The Los Angeles Kings are riding a four-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 14-6 during that run. A win tonight would extend the Kings’ streak to five – the fifth time LA will have achieved that feat in the last three seasons (including the 2024-25 campaign)." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Their largest consecutive win streak in franchise history came back in 2009-10 (9). The team leader in points that season was… you guessed it, Anze Kopitar. The more things change the more they stay the same, I suppose." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Kopitar is once again leading the club with thirty points (8G, 22A) and will look to extend his current points streak to three games (2GP – 1G – 2A – 3P)." } }, { "type": "header", "data": { "text": "RETURNING THE FABER", "level": 2 } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "In the summer of 2022, LA acquired Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Brock Faber and the Kings’ first round pick that year." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The initial reaction amongst Kings fans was a positive one. LA added an offensive dynamo who could put them over the top. That tune has since changed, largely due to Faber’s coming out party, last season." } }, { "id": "60u57qdc-7j76kapu", "type": "embed", "data": { "service": "twitter", "source": "https://twitter.com/mnwild/status/1865252321690612184", "embed": "https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?id=1865252321690612184", "caption": "" } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Constructive criticism is one thing. But being overly critical tends to lean towards a denial of reality." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The reality is: Fiala has been money against his former club. Since the deal, he has matched up against the Wild seven times registering nine points (3G, 6A) with a +2 rating. Faber has faced the Kings four times with one point (1A) and a -6 rating." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "The lopsided statistics land in Fiala and the Kings’ favor; a trend Faber and the Wild will look to move in the opposite direction." } }, { "type": "header", "data": { "text": "KAPS LOCK", "level": 2 } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Minnesota Forward Kirill “the Thrill” Kaprizov didn’t earn his nickname for nothing." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "In his career against Los Angeles, Kaprizov has certainly been a thorn in the Kings’ side with seventeen points (10G, 7A) in eighteen matchups." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "While those numbers certainly cut the mustard, for Kaprizov they’re not so thrilling (relatively speaking). Of the twelve NHL clubs he’s played ten-or-more career games against, he’s averaged over a point per game versus nine of them. The other three: Vegas, St. Louis, and LA." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Over their last ten meetings, the Kings have held Kaprizov to eight points (4G, 4A) and a -3 rating. In that stretch, LA have blanked Kaprizov four times." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "That won’t last forever – especially for a player dubbed “the Thrill” – but the Kings will certainly try." } }, { "type": "paragraph", "data": { "text": "Puck drop is slated for 5:05 PM PST. You can watch the game on television via KCAL or listen live with the ESPN LA app." } }, { "type": "video", "data": { "url": "https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/video-migration/sjyICKpV.mp4", "streached": true, "controls": true, "caption": "SwedenGoaltenders", "image": { "url": "https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/video-migration/sjyICKpV-poster.jpg" }, "cdn": { "service": "jwplayer", "playlistUrl": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/sjyICKpV.m3u8", "sources": [ { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/sjyICKpV.m3u8", "type": "application/vnd.apple.mpegurl" }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/sjyICKpV-TREaY2md.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 180, "width": 320, "label": "180p", "bitrate": 206883, "filesize": 3413583, "framerate": 30 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/sjyICKpV-AMFhNdzY.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 270, "width": 480, "label": "270p", "bitrate": 281690, "filesize": 4647887, "framerate": 30 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/sjyICKpV-B0ZYrEQ2.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 720, "width": 1280, "label": "720p", "bitrate": 764284, "filesize": 12610701, "framerate": 30 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/sjyICKpV-GyUA0PMc.m4a", "type": "audio/mp4", "label": "AAC Audio", "bitrate": 113900, "filesize": 1879366 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/sjyICKpV-wjLaB1kt.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 1080, "width": 1920, "label": "1080p", "bitrate": 1555800, "filesize": 25670702, "framerate": 30 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/sjyICKpV-D1601XTG.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 360, "width": 640, "label": "360p", "bitrate": 335270, "filesize": 5531959, "framerate": 30 }, { "file": "https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/sjyICKpV-BAniOZ04.mp4", "type": "video/mp4", "height": 540, "width": 960, "label": "540p", "bitrate": 520624, "filesize": 8590297, "framerate": 30 } ] } } } ] }

Kings' Fiala Shines, But Inconsistencies Raise Concerns

Game Twenty-Seven Preview: Wild @ Kings

Two Years in, The Fiala-Faber Trade is Aging Poorly