11/4 Preview – No Morning Skate Today + Road Warriors, Power-Play Progress, Potential Reunions

WHO: Los Angeles Kings (6-2-2) @ Philadelphia Flyers (5-5-1)
WHAT: NHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME
WHEN: Saturday, October 4 @ 4:30 PM Pacific
WHERE: Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: Bally Sports West – AUDIO – iHeart Radio – TWITTER: @DooleyLAK & @LAKings

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings conclude a three-game trip this evening as they visit the Philadelphia Flyers for a Saturday-night showdown.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Kings forward Kevin Fiala led the team last season against the Flyers with three points (1-2-3) from two games played, including the game-winning goal in overtime here in Philadelphia. Since he joined the Kings in 2021, forward Phillip Danault has five points (2-3-5) from four games played against the Flyers.

KINGS VITALS: The Kings did not hold a morning skate today in Philadelphia, opting for a team workout off the ice following a full-team practice yesterday.

Without the skate, it’s unclear exactly who will start tonight, but indications from yesterday seem to point towards Cam Talbot making his fourth consecutive start this evening. Should Talbot get the nod, versus his former team, he brings a career mark of 7-4-1 against Philadelphia, with a .917 save percentage and a 2.17 goals-against average.

Assuming lineup consistency, which we’ve now seen over the last several games, here’s how the Kings could align this evening against the Flyers –

Tonight’s @LAKings Line Rushes –

Byfield – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Kaliyev
Fiala – Dubois – Laferriere
Grundstrom – Lizotte – Lewis

Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Roy
Englund – Spence

Talbot
Copley

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) November 2, 2023

The Kings have used the same lineup in eight straight games, dating back to forward Arthur Kaliyev completing his suspension. Should they opt for any kind of change, forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan and defenseman Tobias Bjornfot are the team’s extra skaters.

FLYERS VITALS: Philadelphia snapped a three-game losing streak yesterday in Buffalo, as they leveled their record for the season with a 5-1 win over the Sabres.

Goaltender Samuel Ersson got the start last night in Buffalo, which could point towards Cal Petersen making his first start as a Flyer tonight against his former team. Should the Flyers turn back to Ersson, he has made one career start versus the Kings, as he made 27 saves on 29 shots in a winning effort last season in Los Angeles.

Per Jeff Neiburg of the Philadelphia Inquirer, here’s how the Flyers lined up last night against the Sabres –

Flyers lines with Couturier out:

Tippett-Cates-Atkinson
Farabee-Laughton-Brink
Konecny-Frost-Foerster
Deslauriers-Poehling-Hathaway

York-Sanheim
Seeler-Walker
Zamula-Belpedio

— Jeff Neiburg (@Jeff_Neiburg) November 3, 2023

The Flyers are expected to be without goaltender Carter Hart, defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and forward Sean Couturier tonight due to injury. Defenseman Sean Walker is expected to face the Kings for the first time since he was traded to Philadelphia this summer. Forward Cam Atkinson has six points from his last two games played against LA.

Notes –
Road Warriors
Starting off with some statistics.

On Thursday in Ottawa, the Kings became the 24th team in NHL history to win each of their first five road games of the season, the first time in franchise history it’s even been accomplished. Over the last 20 years, only eight teams have begun a season 6-0-0 on the road, which the Kings are looking to do tonight. It would mark the 14th time in NHL history, should the Kings find a way to win tonight in Philadelphia.

That leads to the natural, million-dollar question – why have the Kings been so good on the road in the early goings of the season?

“It’s a good question, I don’t think that we approach the game any differently than we do at home, the preparation stays the same,” Todd McLellan said. “A common answer may be simplify things, but I just think that we’ve been cleaner on the road, we haven’t beaten ourselves on the road, which we have at home a few times, but other than that, our game stays, at least preparation wise, the same.”

Over the last three seasons, the Kings have the sixth-most points in the NHL on the road and are tied for the sixth-most wins. They’ve picked up a point in more than 71 percent of their away games played in that span. Not too shabby.

It’s probably one of those questions that doesn’t really have a firm answer. As forward Blake Lizotte said, there’s not a “magic recipe” for winning on the road, because in reality every team is looking for it. Lizotte pointed towards the team’s camaraderie as a possible explanation, citing the time spent together as a group dating all the way back to Australia. It’s a group that’s very close on the road and a group that is comfortable on the road.

“I think with Australia, this team got really close, really quickly and I think that might have something to do with our road success early on.”

Forward Adrian Kempe pointed to the team’s road record over the last few seasons and the mindset the Kings have going into away buildings. He said that the Kings enter away buildings believing that they can get points, feeling like a good road team. That builds confidence and “swagger”, as Kempe put it.

“It’s just confidence, we feel like we’re a pretty good road team and we can go into any building and get points,” Kempe said after Thursday’s win. “It’s just that confidence with playing well.”

Phillip Danault pointed to the ability to trust all four lines and all six defensemen right now, which allows the Kings to put anyone on the ice in any situation. It echoes some of what Todd McLellan has said as well, which is that the Kings are relying less on matchups than they did in seasons past.

“I think just rolling the lines, we trust everyone on the ice, whether it’s defensively or offensively,” Danault added. “Our D has been really good and our goalie has been outstanding.”

Early in the season, whatever the reasoning has been, it’s led to victories for the Kings. Another chance to build on that mark here tonight.

PProgress
The Kings power play has yet to hit the heights of last season, but we’re starting to see some serious signs of progress.

One standout in that area to me was Phillip Danault’s power-play goal in Ottawa.

PHILLIN' THE NET EARLY pic.twitter.com/jfYIhH3KIP

— LA Kings (@LAKings) November 2, 2023

The play run there is one the Kings worked into the mix more and more last season. Utilizing the player in the middle of the ice more on set plays, whether it be the quick passing shown above, or looking to that player higher in the slot, was a noticeable change to the way last season’s power-play unit operated. Seeing it again last night was a good sign of progress.

“Yes, it is a sign, sometimes it’s what the penalty kill gives you though,” McLellan said. “There are variations now, in different types of penalty kills that we’re seeing, we’ve changed ours obviously, so each night presents different opportunities and last night presented that opportunity, based on their kill and give them credit. They set it up and they they took advantage of it. Other nights that’s not going to be there based on on the kill.”

Danault said that he isn’t always in that position on the power play, but that’s a part of the beauty of how the Kings ideally would like to operate. In the past, there were more traditional roles on the man advantage but starting last season, the Kings preached versatility amongst players on the ice, especially for those three, left-shot forwards across the middle, which has seen a player like Danault get to the front of the net, but also move up high on the left-hand circle.

“I don’t always play in front of the net, but I do love to get there and it happens that way sometimes,” he said. “We just played direct, got some great bounces and it was a great pass by Mooresy [on the goal].”

Thursday’s goal was also noticeable because the first two passes were made by a pair of left-shot forwards. With Viktor Arvidsson out of the lineup and Gabe Vilardi now in Winnipeg, it has been a bit of a different look, with both units currently having four, left-shot forwards on the ice. Trevor Moore and Quinton Byfield executed well in that situation, to find Danault in front. In the past, that play down low would have been made by a right-shot forward but the Kings are becoming more and more comfortable with their roles and their personnel. That’s a good sign.

“It’s getting better,” forward Arthur Kaliyev said of his unit. “We all know each other on the power play and I think we’re keeping it pretty simple, getting pucks to the net and making plays. It’s pretty good over the last couple of games.”

Goals in each of the last two games for that unit and goals in three of their last four for the unit that rarely starts on the power play and rarely gets the larger half of the split. Good signs there. We’ll take a deeper look into the other unit as well, which is also showing signs of progress but not yet translating it into production. Will have that in the coming days, with a good look at where that unit is at and what is hopefully to come.

Kings and Flyers tonight, before the long flight back to Los Angeles after the game. Awaiting word on whether or not we’ll see Cal Petersen in net for the Flyers, but at the least we can expect to see defenseman Sean Walker for the first time as an opponent. Lots to look out for!