Bold opener: The Kings are facing a moment of adversity that could redefine their season, and the stakes are higher than ever as they head into a pivotal matchup with the Panthers.
Adversity has pressed in on the Kings this season. While they’ve battled to put more pucks in the net, they’ve also contended with multiple hurdles, including key players struggling to hit their usual marks. Their power play has often shifted momentum away from them, a troubling trend given the team’s reliance on special teams. Yet, through the turbulence, Los Angeles has demonstrated they can clamp down defensively and keep opponents off the scoreboard.
That test will intensify with star goalie Darcy Kuemper sidelined for an extended period after a collision in Dallas. He’s out with an upper-body injury, shifting the spotlight to Anton Forsberg. Forsberg has a track record against Florida that offers some reassurance: in six career starts against the Panthers, he sports a .929 save percentage and has one shutout.
Preparing to host the defending back-to-back Stanley Cup champions on their home ice, coach Jim Hiller and his staff will be counting on someone to rise to the occasion. In seasons like this, a single standout performance—two timely goals, a game-changing save, or a momentum-shifting sequence—can turn a game in a team’s favor. The obvious candidates to shoulder more of the load are Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala, who have been carrying the workload throughout the year, though they’re not strangers to lifting the team when needed.
Expect a flurry of lineup adjustments tonight. Quinton Byfield is reportedly ready to return, and there’s chatter about Warren Foegele rejoining the scoresheet on a line that found success together last season. Amid morning skate reports, there’s still some ambiguity about where Andrei Kuzmenko will slot in.
Phil Danault is not anticipated to play, marking his third consecutive missed game.
Statistical snapshot
- The Kings’ hold on a playoff berth has loosened slightly, dropping into a wild-card position after spending much of the year in a top-three spot in the Pacific. This assessment uses raw points, noting Edmonton’s win yesterday. When looking at points percentage, L.A. remains third in the division, aided by two additional games in hand over the Oilers.
- Los Angeles aims to split the season series with Florida at one game apiece. Forsberg was the goaltender when the Panthers defeated the Kings on November 6 at Crypto.com Arena.
- In that November matchup, Anze Kopitar, Corey Perry, and Brad Marchand each scored, marking only the third time in the past two decades that three players aged 37 or older tallied in the same game, according to NHL PR.
- Kopitar is set to skate in his 30th and final regular-season matchup against the Panthers on Wednesday. No Kings skater has more goals (9), assists (18), or points (27) against Florida in franchise history than Kopitar.
- Florida has won five of their last six, returning home from a 3-1 road trip.
What you may have missed
Let the goalie shuffling begin: roster moves update the picture—Kuemper goes to IR, and the Kings and Reign recall goalies.
Projected Kings lineup vs. Panthers
If any notable changes occur during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Laferriere – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Foegele
Armia – Turcotte – Moore
Kuzmenko – Helenius – Perry
Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Ceci
Forsberg
Copley
Likely scratches: Danault, Malott, and Moverare
Injured Reserve: Kuemper
How to watch
Puck drop is at 4:00 pm Pacific Time, broadcast on FanDuel Sports. A Kings radio feed is available via the ESPN LA app.
Broadcast note
Tony Granato fills the TV color role on this road trip, with Jim Fox taking a holiday break.
Get to know the new Kings play-by-play voice
John Kelly sits down for an interview about joining the Kings broadcasts and what it’s like calling games against them earlier in his career. Read more here.
Across the ice
Florida arrives on the heels of a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay on Monday. Their lineup in that game:
Luostarinen – Lundell – Reinhart
Verhaeghe – Bennett – Marchand
Samoskevich – Rodrigues – Greer
Gregor – Studnicka – Boqvist
Forsling – Ekblad
Mikkola – Jones
Balinskis – Petry
Bobrovsky
Today in Kings history
On December 17, 2002, Eric Belanger recorded his first NHL hat trick against the St. Louis Blues, as Jason Allison and Jaroslav Modry each tallied three points, and Felix Potvin stopped 34 shots in a 6-2 LA Kings win.
More LA Kings news
- Prospect Tracker: Week ending December 15, 2025
Follow for updates
@mayorNHL
Note to reporters
When recapping News or interviews from Mayor’s Manor, please include a link to www.MayorsManor.com
