Wild vs. Kings: Projected Lineups and Game Preview

The Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings face off tonight at Crypto.com Arena. The game is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FDSNWI, FDSNNO, and FDSNW.

Projected Lineups

Here's a look at the projected lineups for both teams:

Minnesota Wild:

• Forwards:
  • Kirill Kaprizov — Danila Yurov — Mats Zuccarello
  • Marcus Johansson — Joel Eriksson Ek — Matt Boldy
  • Vladimir Tarasenko — Ryan Hartman — Vinnie Hinostroza
  • Marcus Foligno — Nico Sturm — Yakov Trenin
• Defense:
  • Quinn Hughes — Brock Faber
  • Jonas Brodin — Jared Spurgeon
  • Jake Middleton — Zach Bogosian
• Goalies: Jesper Wallstedt, Filip Gustavsson
• Scratches: Tyler Pitlick, Matt Kierstad
• Injured: Daemon Hunt (lower body)

Los Angeles Kings:

• Forwards:
  • Alex Laferriere — Anze Kopitar — Adrian Kempe
  • Warren Foegele — Quinton Byfield — Joel Armia
  • Kevin Fiala — Alex Turcotte — Andrei Kuzmenko
  • Jeff Malott — Samuel Helenius — Corey Perry
• Defense:
  • Mikey Anderson — Drew Doughty
  • Joel Edmundson — Brandt Clarke
  • Brian Dumoulin — Cody Ceci
• Goalies: Darcy Kuemper, Anton Forsberg
• Scratches: Jacob Moverare
• Injured: Trevor Moore (illness)

Team Records and Stats

The Wild enter the game with a record of 25-10-7. The Kings' record stands at 16-14-9. Minnesota won the first game of the season series 4-3 in a shootout on October 13.

Key stats to consider:

• Power Play: Wild 22.6%, Kings 15.7%
• Penalty Kill: Wild 76.8%, Kings 77.9%
• Goals For/Game: Wild 3.07, Kings 2.59
• Goals Against/Game: Wild 2.59, Kings 2.62

Players to Watch

For the Wild, Kirill Kaprizov leads the team with 48 points, including 24 goals and 24 assists. Matt Boldy has 47 points, with a team-leading 25 goals and 22 assists. Quinn Hughes has 18 points (3 goals, 15 assists) in 19 games against the Kings.

Adrian Kempe leads the Kings with 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists). Quinton Byfield has 21 points (5 goals, 16 assists). Kevin Fiala has 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists). Anze Kopitar has 20 points (6 goals and 14 assists).

Goaltending Matchup

Jesper Wallstedt is a likely starter for the Wild, while Darcy Kuemper is expected to start for the Kings.

Betting Odds

The Kings are slight favorites with a moneyline of -138, while the Wild are underdogs at +115. The over/under is set at 5.5 goals.

Additional Information

The Wild are playing the second leg of a back-to-back after a 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings are looking to improve their home record after a 5-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Prediction

Considering the Wild's strong record and recent performance, they present good value as the underdog. The offensive talent on both sides suggests the game could be high-scoring, favoring the over 5.5 goals.