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11/11 Preview – Same 20 Expected for LAK + Point Streaks, Lewis’ Value, Helenius in CGY

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WHO: Los Angeles Kings (9-4-3) @ Calgary Flames (7-5-3)
WHAT: 2024-25 Regular-Season Game
WHEN: Monday, November 11 @ 5:30 PM Pacific
WHERE: Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary, AB
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: FanDuel Sports Network – AUDIO – ESPN LA App – TWITTER: @dooleylak & @lakings

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings are back on the road for a two-game trip, beginning North of the border tonight in Calgary.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: The Kings did not find much success in this building last season, losing both of their away games in Calgary by a 4-2 final score. In total, Calgary has won five of the last six matchups with the Kings at the Saddledome.

Forwards Kevin Fiala (2-3-5) and Anze Kopitar (1-4-5) led the Kings last season with five points against the Flames last season, with Fiala posting a multi-point night in each of the two games played in Calgary.

KINGS VITALS: The November schedule continues with another short trip, this time coming with games in Calgary and Colorado.

Goaltender Darcy Kuemper was off the ice first this morning, making him tonight’s projected starter in tonight’s game against the Flames. Kuemper has strong career splits versus Calgary, bringing with him an 8-2-1 record, with a .951 save percentage and a 1.72 goals-against average, his best save percentage against any one opponent.

The Kings held a full-team morning skate earlier today at the Scotiabank Saddledome, after not skating on Sunday’s travel day. Here’s how the team aligned earlier today –

Lewis – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Fiala
Foegele – Byfield – Laferriere
Lee – Helenius – Thomas
(Jeannot)

Anderson – Gavrikov
Edmundson – Clarke
Englund – Spence
(Jones – Burroughs)

Kuemper / Rittich

In terms of personnel, looks like the same 18 skaters and two goaltenders will dress for the Kings from Saturday’s win over Columbus. The alignment this morning appeared to be what it was after a couple of in-game changes on Saturday, with Trevor Lewis sticking alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe, along with a youthful fourth line with Andre Lee, Samuel Helenius and Akil Thomas having 28 NHL games between them.

Jim Hiller shared this morning that he doesn’t want to break up the Foegele/Byfield/Laferriere line while it’s working, even if it could potentially help another line. He also feels confident in the fourth line, despite their inexperience, because of the consistency they carry themselves with. It could be a rotating cast alongside Kopitar/Kempe, but it’ll be Lewis tonight to start the game and we’ll see where it goes.

On the blueline, this is the group that took on Columbus this weekend. Andreas Englund checked back into the lineup for that game and it appears as if he will retain his position in the lineup.

Tanner Jeannot is here, despite his suspension, and was on late for extra work alongside Caleb Jones and Kyle Burroughs. Forward Alex Turcotte did not make the trip, so expecting he will not play until at the earliest Saturday versus Detroit.

CALGARY VITALS: The Flames have had a positive start to the season with a 7-5-3 record, entering tonight’s game four points behind the Kings in the Pacific Division.

Per the Brendan Parker of Flames TV, here’s how Calgary lined up on Saturday in Buffalo –

Defenseman Rasmus Andersson is the only Calgary skater with double-digit points, as he leads his team with 11 (4-7-11) in the early stages of the season. Andersson’s four goals are tied for the second most in the NHL among defensemen, while his 11 points are tied for tenth among league blueliners. Andersson has averaged 24:39 per game in time on ice, also ranking tenth in the NHL.

Storyline Of The Day – We’re Going Streaking
Who would’ve thought a Will Ferrell line, delivered fully naked, would be the basis for so many hockey posts.

After combining on a shorthanded goal in Saturday’s win over Columbus, Kings forwards Trevor Moore and Phillip Danault each extended their respective point streaks to five games, dating back to last Saturday’s game against Chicago.

After he had just two points (1-1-2) in his first nine games of the season, Moore now has six points over his last six games (1-5-6). Danault had just three assists through his first 11 games, but after burying his first career goal against the Blackhawks, he’s got six points (1-5-6) over his last five games.

That line certainly did not get a ton of puck luck early, but Moore also took a lot of the onus on he and Danault for maybe not earning the bounces either.

“I don’t think we really got any bounces early, but we also weren’t maybe doing the right things to get those bounces,” Moore said. “We’ve just been trying to work hard, trying to have the puck more and I still think we should have it way more than we have it’s something we’ve talked about. We’re getting some bounces right now and that’s a good thing to build confidence.”

Throughout their time together, Danault and Moore have been puck possession monsters.

Over the last three seasons, they’ve spent a ton of time with the puck, in the offensive zone, controlling more than 56 percent of shot attempts when they’ve been on the ice together over the last three seasons. It’s led to offense, with the duo +17 together at 5-on-5. Through nine games this season, the totals just weren’t quite the same.

Through nine games, Moore controlled right around 54 percent of shot attempts but were very close to even on scoring chances. The result was one more goal against than for. Starting with the team’s tenth game of the season, the shot attempts and scoring chances are both at 61 percent in their favor, with goals scored now at +4, not even including the shorthanded goal on Saturday. With Danault and Moore, regardless of who the third linemate is, they’ve always earned their offense by dominating the puck, controlling shifts and eventually cashing in. We’ve seen more of that of late.

“I think we weren’t as aggressive [as we needed to be],” Danault said of his team earlier in the season. “When you play the big line every night, the little details are important, otherwise you don’t create offense and maybe that was costing us at the beginning of the year. It’s not an easy task, but we’ve been doing the right things [lately], that’s for sure.”

There’s still the dangerous ability that Moore brings offensively, showcased on that shorthanded goal. This is the team’s goalscoring leader from last season, with a career-best 31. It’s in there. Hiller hopes the shorthanded tally can help him find it more regularly.

Danault encouraged Moore to “trust himself” in those situations, knowing the type of release and shot that he has. Jim Hiller was inclined to agree.

“Last year, it seemed like he scored 10 or 12 from the outside like that, with his wrist shot, he changed his curve two summers ago and came back and was scoring from the outside,” Hiller said of Moore. “It’s nice to see it. He’s had a lot of close shots like that, that haven’t gone in, nice to see that one go in. I hope that going to help him shoot some more pucks in the net.”

With Danault, his first goal of the season has clearly lightened the load a bit, so to speak.

Pressure out of the shoulders, gripping the stick a little bit less tightly. Since his goal against the Blackhawks we’ve seen more of the Phillip Danault who has been such an important player for the Kings over the last three seasons. It’s never been about the goal column exclusively for Danault, but he’s averaged 21 goals and 52 points per 82 games over his first three seasons with the Kings. Those are solid numbers, for a guy who often logs defensive-zone starts and difficult matchups.

Since his goal, he’s been at 50 percent or better in the faceoff dot in every game. He’s forcing turnovers and turning it around into offensive-zone possession. Looks like the Phil Danault of old.

“Definitely getting better every game,” he said.

And more to come.

3 To Watch For –
– I don’t think anyone believes that Trevor Lewis is the long-term solution alongside Anze Koptiar and Adrian Kempe, but he did a nice job there on Saturday.

“I think Kopi and Juice have played together a lot, so it’s important that they get a real complementary piece, who complements their games,” Hiller said this morning. “We’ve had different guys who can do that, but as you see, Lewie is there and we think he can do that, he gets to the net, you saw that on the double screen playing with Kopi last game.”

The linemate list for Kopitar and Kempe early this season has been extensive – Alex Laferriere, Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Andre Lee, Kevin Fiala, Akil Thomas and now, Trevor Lewis. Turcotte delivered perhaps the best fit, but he’s not available with an upper-body injury, likely until the teams returns home to California. Therefore, a temporary fit is required.

Though perhaps Laferriere or Warren Foegele might make sense, they’re currently skating with Byfield on an impactful third line. Hiller said that while they are playwing as effectively as they have been, he won’t break that line up to perhaps help another line. For tonight, it looks like Lewis could get the call. He provided the screen Hiller mentioned on Saturday that led to a goal for that line, with Vladislav Gavrikov the scorer. While he’s not an offensive machine, he’s consistent and trusted. He’s looked as good as anyone else who has played there recently and brings things that Hiller values.

“He does so many things that are appreciated by coaches, teammates, management, trainers, and I think one thing that he’s done is that he defines what it is to be a pro,” Hiller said of Lewis. “He’s the first guy here, stretching, doing stuff you can’t imagine to put himself in the best shape to go out and have a good game. Those are the types of players that have an effect on the organization long after they’re gone.”

While it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not those lines stay together all game, looks as if he could start there tonight and we’ll see what happens. And, again, Lewis isn’t the long-term solution in that spot. But as long as he’s here, regardless of where he plays or if he plays, he is a complementary guy who can click a couple of different places.

– How about Papa Helenius during his son’s debut.

Sami Helenius was a tough dude. He was also a Calgary Flames draft pick, making his NHL debut in this building back in 1996. Tonight, his son will play his first career NHL road game in the same building that his father played his first ever game. The elder Helenius played a total of seven games with the Flames, the first seven of the 155 he played during his NHL career, and he spent parts of five seasons with the Calgary organization, between the NHL and AHL.

Cool little detail, as the young Helenius continues to carve out his own NHL career.

– Lastly, wanted to re-share a piece from Friday, as the Kings are in Calgary to take on the Flames.

Tonight’s game marks the first trip back here for David Rittich and Trevor Lewis, since the passing of Johnny Gaudreau, their teammate with the Flames when they played here respectively.

Both were gracious enough to speak about Johnny a few days ago, talking about what he means to them, as a teammate and as a person. Full story HERE.

Kings and Flames will faceoff tonight at 5:30 Pacific, 6:30 here in Calgary.

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