The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] host the NHL's 2nd-best team, the Dallas Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars], tonight as they look to move into 3rd in the Pacific. The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] are coming off a big divisional win against the Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers], which saw Adrian Kempe score the shootout winner. The Stars are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks], who rallied back from a 4-2 deficit and won 5-4 in overtime. The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] are in a very tough spot with their schedule, as they go from Edmonton [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] to face the Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars]. PROJECTED KINGS LINES Here are the projected lines [https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-lineup-projections-2025-26-season] for the Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] tonight: Jeff Malott - Alex Laferriere - Adrian Kempe Warren Foegele - Quinton Byfield - Corey Perry Kevin Fiala - Alex Turcotte - Andrei Kuzmenko Andre Lee - Samuel Helenius - Taylor Ward Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke Brian Dumoulin - Cody Ceci Darcy Kuemper Anton Forsberg PROJECTED STARS LINES Here are the projected lines [https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-lineup-projections-2025-26-season] for the Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars] tonight: Jason Robertson - Roope Hintz - Mavrik Bourque Matt Duchene - Wyatt Johnston - Mikko Rantanen Justin Hryckowian - Sam Steel - Jamie Benn Oskar Back - Radek Faksa - Nathan Bastian Esa Lindell - Miro Heiskanen Thomas Harley - Alexander Petrovic Kyle Capobianco - Nils Lundkvist Jake Oettinger Casey DeSmith LINE CHANGES AND INJURIES The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] will still be without Anze Kopitar (upper body), Joel Armia (lower body) and Trevor Moore (upper body). The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] are expected to use the same lines as they did in the shootout victory against the Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers]. The Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars] will have Jamie Benn return in the lineup after he missed the last 3 games due to an injury sustained on January 4th in a game against Montreal [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens]. KEY FACTORS The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] have been playing very well against tough opponents recently. They defeated the Wild in back-to-back games, and the shootout win over the Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] was a big one as well, especially given how the Oilers have treated the Kings in the playoffs. King's [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] forward Quinton Byfield has been playing much better than he did a month ago, with 2 points in his last 2 games. The Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] are without their captain today, so they will be looking to Byfield, Kempe, and Fiala to provide leadership. Overall, with the way the Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] have been playing recently, they are definitely capable of walking away with a win tonight if they keep it up. My prediction for tonight's game is a 3-2 Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] win.
