LA Kings Set to Face Buffalo Sabres in Critical Home Game

The Los Angeles Kings are poised to resume their NHL campaign after a three-day break, facing off against the Buffalo Sabres tonight at Crypto.com Arena. This contest marks the conclusion of their two-game season series, following a 3-1 victory for the Kings on Opening Night in October.

During that initial encounter, Anze Kopitar led the Los Angeles offense, securing a hat trick that accounted for the entire team’s scoring. Six additional Kings players contributed assists during that game.

As the Kings play the middle fixture of a three-game homestand spanning 11 days, David Rittich is expected to be the starting goaltender. Rittich boasts a 4-1-1 record against the Sabres, maintaining a .900 save percentage and a 2.79 goals-against average over his career.

The Kings have been evaluating their lineup, and based on recent practices, no changes are anticipated. Forward Akil Thomas, along with defensemen Andreas Englund and Kyle Burroughs, are likely to be scratched for tonight’s game.

The visiting Sabres are commencing their annual California swing, starting with this matchup against the Kings. Jourdon LaBarber from BuffaloSabres.com reveals that forward Tage Thompson is questionable due to a lower-body injury.

Home advantage remains significant for the Kings, who under head coach Jim Hiller, possess a formidable .800 winning percentage on home ice since February. Forward Trevor Lewis acknowledges the importance of a strong home performance, stating, «We’ve talked about it since the beginning of the season, we want this building to be a tough place to play in. So far, we’ve done a pretty good job of it.”

Looking at tonight’s game, Alex Turcotte is expected to participate without restrictions after a measured return in Saturday’s win against Detroit. Defenseman Jacob Moverare will also play following a strong performance and recent travel saga from the AHL back to Los Angeles.

History indicates a challenging battle for the Kings, who struggled against the Sabres last season, evidenced by a 7-0 loss in Buffalo. Despite the Kings’ victory earlier this season, the Sabres have shown competitive resilience.

As the Kings aim to extend their success at home, defenseman Mikey Anderson emphasized the importance of leveraging home advantage, «Everyone’s happy with the way we’ve been so far at home, but we’ve got to keep going with it and keep getting better.»