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4/11 Preview – Kopitar/Talbot Skate, Ready + Kings Main Focal Points Tonight, Quick Hitters on Recognition

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WHO: Los Angeles Kings (41-26-11) vs. Calgary Flames (35-37-5)
WHAT: NHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME
WHEN: Thursday, April 11 @ 7:30 PM Pacific
WHERE: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: Bally Sports West – AUDIO – iHeart Radio – TWITTER: @DooleyLAK & @LAKings

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings begin a season-ending, four-game homestand tonight against the Calgary Flames.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Forwards Kevin Fiala (1-3-4) and Anze Kopitar (1-3-4), along with defenseman Drew Doughty (0-4-4), lead the Kings with four points versus the Flames this season to date, while Quinton Byfield has a team-high two goals from three games played. Forward Adrian Kempe leads the Kings with seven goals and 11 points over the last three seasons versus the Flames. The Swede is one goal shy of the NHL lead against Calgary during that span.

KINGS VITALS: Yesterday, the Kings held a full-team practice in El Segundo minus a couple of missing participants, leading into a morning skate here this morning.

Goaltneder Cam Talbot was the first goaltender off the ice this morning, making him tonight’s projected starter in net versus Calgary. Talbot has faced the Flames 17 times throughout his professional career, posting a record of 10-6-0, with a .915 save percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average.

With the optional skate, the Kings did not take line rushes today. Here’s how the team lined up last time out –

Forward Anze Kopitar and goaltender Cam Talbot were both on the ice today, after missing yesterday’s practice with a maintenance day. Looks to be all good this morning, expecting both players will be in tonight’s lineup versus the Flames.

Look for the Kings to continue with 12 forwards and six defensemen here tonight. Should they look for any sort of change, forward Arthur Kaliyev and defenseman Jacob Moverare are healthy options to check in.

Forward Carl Grundstrom remains on the ice and practicing but is still on LTIR as of this morning. Not there just yet. Forward Alex Turcotte was assigned to the AHL on a conditioning loan yesterday and played for the Ontario Reign last night against Coachella Valley.

FLAMES VITALS: Calgary has lost eight of its last ten games, though one of the wins came over the Kings, in Alberta, back in late-March.

Goaltender Jacob Markstrom is expected to get the nod tonight against the Kings, after he was the first goaltender off from morning skate at Crypto.com Arena. Markstrom has a lifetime record of 12-5-4, with a .912 save percentage and a 2.82 goals-against average.

Per Eric Francis of Sportsnet, here’s how Calgary lined up last time out against San Jose –

Forward Andrei Kuzmenko, acquired in amidseason trade with Vancouver, leads the team over its last ten games with 11 points (5-6-11), while forward Yegor Sharangovich leads the Flames over the last six weeks with 18 points (9-9-18). Sharangovich has 30 goals overall this season, his first in the league, while forward Blake Coleman is one goal shy of his first 30-goal season in the NHL.

Notes –
Focus On Kings Hockey
Another chance to clinch for the LA Kings.

Tonight is the fourth clinching scenario the Kings have had, though only the second within their control. Sunday and Wednesday presented opportunities for the clinch based on results around the NHL. The St. Louis Blues prevailed on both occasions to remain alive in the playoff race. For the Kings, they had their own chance to get the job done on Tuesday evening in Anaheim but fell short in a disappointing performance against the Ducks.

They know what they can do tonight and are looking forward to the opportunity.

“The fact that we have the chance to clinch the playoffs, bring some more fire, some more emotion, more desperation,” Anze Kopitar said this morning. “I know we’re in a good spot, but put in the effort, the emotion, the desperation and it could happen tonight.”

It’s easy to think ahead, but the Kings are focused on the task at hand.

Four games remaining and the Kings have to find ways to get wins.

“We’re just focused on, we still have games to play in this regular season,” Jim Hiller said. “I don’t really want to go there, I’m worried about game 79, I’m just still focused on game 79.”

For tonight, though, the wider focus is really on getting back, mentally, to the way the Kings want to play. In Anaheim, the Kings had a really good start, all four lines going, and got the first goal from forward Akil Thomas. The group felt from that point on, though, that the mindset slipped.

For Hiller, the focus was on turnovers. Same things that Blake Lizotte said after the game at Honda Center and same thing that Anze Kopitar said this morning following today’s skate.

“The mindset of getting the puck and not turning it over, that’s just right here,” Hiller said, pointing to his head. “That’s focus and we’ll bring that [today].”

Against the Calgary Flames, Hiller pointed to the way that they get their chances as a reason for needing to make smart decisions with the puck.

Calgary has given the Kings trouble this season, winning twice in their own building on nights when the Kings walked away unhappy with their performances. The most recent game was a performance everyone was disappointed in and as such, they know tonight’s game will be difficult.

“It’ll be a hard game, it always is against them,” Kopitar said. “It’ll be a pretty physical game, they have some skill in their lineup and we have to be careful of that. Bottom line is, we’ve got to go out, play our game and make it happen ourselves.”

In the three games the Kings and Flames have played this season, Hiller estimates by team calculation that three quarters of the chances that have come against the Kings have been via the rush. When you turn the puck over, whether it’s in the neutral zone or at the offensive blue line, the opposition has their best opportunity to go the other way. That’s how rush chances are generated and specifically in the two defeats in Alberta, rush chances have been heavily tilted. Happened on the second and third goals on Tuesday, too.

An area of focus to clean up, with Calgary in town again tonight.

“If we look at Calgary, 75 percent of their chances have been rush chances against us in the three games,” Hiller added. “Sometimes that comes off their breakout, coming through the neutral zone, but most often rush chances are created when you turn the puck over. It could be in the neutral zone at the red line, it could be in their zone just over the blue line, it doesn’t matter, the rush comes back the other way. We saw it happen twice [in Anaheim]. Those decisions are critical and you can make a play when it’s there, but when it’s not there, you’ve got to put it in and go to work.”

Quick Hitters
– Talked yesterday about Anze Kopitar’s recognition by his peers and today we heard from Kopitar himself.

He was selected in the Top 5 by an NHLPA vote as the “most complete forward” and “hardest to play against in the defensive zone”.

“Obviously a really good thing that your peers think about you like that,” he said. “Guess it means I’ve been doing something right over the course of the years.”

Kopitar looked at the players near him and admitted his own list of the other four guys in the Top 5 in both categories would look pretty similarly to what the league felt. Other elite players on other clubs are up there with Kopitar and he felt “proud” to be listed as well. When the guys you’re playing against are the ones saying they don’t want to play against you all that often, it’s not a bad bit of recognition to have.

– Additionally, Akil Thomas was recognized by the AHL earlier today as the Ontario Reign’s representative for the AHL’s IOA / American Specialty Man of the Year, for his “outstanding contributions to the community during the 2023-24 season”.

Thomas has been active in the community with the AHL club, joining Blake Bolden for the “Black, Silver & Bold” hockey development program, meeting with local kids on and off the ice. Thomas was also heavily involved in the team’s Black History Month celebration, participating in a cultural panel after a game in Ontario and collaborating on the team’s jersey design, benefitting 24 Degrees of Color.

Good on Akil, who has been involved with community and charities since he joined the organization.

That’s about all we got for today, Insiders. Not expecting any lineup changes and the message from Tuesday into today is simple – has to be better and it has to start with getting back to playing the game hard and the right way. Good opportunity to do so here tonight versus the Flames, with a postseason clinch on the line.

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