Panthers and Kings Face Off: Projected Lineups and Game Preview

The Florida Panthers are set to clash with the Los Angeles Kings tonight at the Crypto.com Arena at 10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on HULU and ESPN+. Here's a look at the projected lineups and what to expect from both teams.

Florida Panthers (6-6-1)

The Panthers are coming off a tough 7-3 loss against the Anaheim Ducks. They've been alternating wins and losses in their last seven games and currently sit at the bottom of the Atlantic standings with 13 points.

Here's the projected lineup for the Panthers:

• Forwards:

  • Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
  • Carter Verhaeghe – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart
  • Jesper Boqvist – Sam Bennett – Mackie Samoskevich
  • A.J. Greer – Cole Schwindt – Noah Gregor

• Defense:

  • Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
  • Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
  • Donovan Sebrango – Jeff Petry

• Goaltenders:

  • Sergei Bobrovsky
  • Daniil Tarasov

Uvis Balinskis and Luke Kunin are expected to be scratched. Key players like Matthew Tkachuk (lower body), Tomas Nosek (knee), Dmitry Kulikov (shoulder), and Jonah Gadjovich (upper body) are currently injured.

The Panthers have been averaging 2.54 goals per game while allowing 3.08. Their power play operates at 20.0%, and their penalty kill at 75.0%. Sergei Bobrovsky is the likely starting goalie, holding a 6-4-0 record with a 2.82 goals against average and an .883 save percentage.

Los Angeles Kings (6-4-4)

The Kings are coming off a 3-0 win against the Winnipeg Jets, snapping a two-game skid. They are currently tied for third in the Pacific standings with 16 points.

Here's the projected lineup for the Kings:

• Forwards:

  • Joel Armia – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
  • Kevin Fiala – Quinton Byfield – Alex Laferriere
  • Andrei Kuzmenko – Phillip Danault – Trevor Moore
  • Jeff Malott – Alex Turcotte – Corey Perry

• Defense:

  • Mikey Anderson – Drew Doughty
  • Joel Edmundson – Brandt Clarke
  • Brian Dumoulin – Cody Ceci

• Goaltenders:

  • Anton Forsberg
  • Darcy Kuemper

Jacob Moverare and Samuel Helenius are expected to be scratched. Warren Foegele is currently out with an upper-body injury.

The Kings have been scoring 2.79 goals per game and allowing 2.93. Their power play is at 16.3%, and their penalty kill at 76.4%. Anton Forsberg is likely to start after Kuemper participated in the King's optional morning skate. Kuemper has a 2.57 goals against average and a .900 save percentage this season.

Keys to the Game

The Kings have won 7 of the last 10 head-to-head encounters with the Panthers. The Panthers have struggled on the road this season, with a 1-5-0 record. The Kings will look to capitalize on their home ice advantage. The Panthers need to improve their defense and special teams to compete.