1/25 Preview – Laferriere Returns, 12/6 Tonight + Road Trip Opener, Latest on Doughty, Big Sami Stat

WHO: Los Angeles Kings (26-14-5) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (23-19-7)
WHAT: 2024-25 Regular-Season Game
WHEN: Saturday, January 25 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: Nationwide Arena – Columbus, OH
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: FanDuel Sports Network – AUDIO – ESPN LA App – TWITTER: @dooleylak & @lakings

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings begin a five-game roadtrip this evening, their longest remaining stint of games away from home, as they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: The Kings won the first game of the season against Columbus, a 5-2 victory at Crypto.com Arena back in November.

Forward Warren Foegele had a goal and an assist in the victory, while forwards Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each collected a pair of assists and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov scored for the first time against his former team. In total, Gavrikov has three points (1-2-3) and a +5 rating in four games versus the Blue Jackets since he was acquired via trade in 2023.

KINGS VITALS: Today featured an optional skate for the visitors, as expected following yesterday’s full-team practice day.

With two days in between games here, Darcy Kuemper is expected to get the start between the pipes tonight to begin the five-game trip. Kuemper has a lifetime record of 4-4-1 against the Blue Jackets, with a .939 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average, his second-best career SV% against any one opponent.

Based on how the Kings lined up yesterday, he’s a lineup projection for tonight against Columbus –

Turcotte – Kopitar – Kempe
Foegele – Byfield – Moore
Fiala – Danault – Laferriere
Jeannot – Helenius – Lewis
Thomas

Anderson – Gavrikov
Edmundson – Spence
Moverare – Clarke
Englund – Burroughs
Doughty

Kuemper
Rittich

The Kings went with 12 forwards and six defensemen last time out, their first 12/6 alignment since November, and will do so once again tonight.

Forward Alex Laferriere is confirmed to return to action tonight, while defenseman Drew Doughty likely will not play. Based on today’s morning skate, looks like Laferriere could come in for Akil Thomas up front, with the latter on late after today’s skate for extra work. More on both 14 and 8 below.

BLUE JACKETS VITALS: Columbus is playing its best hockey of the season, winning 11 of its last 17 games, despite a 7-4 defeat in Carolina on Thursday evening.

Per Jeff Svoboda of the Columbus team website, here’s how the visitors lined up last time out –

#CBJ in warmups:
Voronkov-Fantilli-Marchenko
JVR-Del Bel Belluz-Johnson
ZAR-Danforth-Olivier
Pyyhtia-Kuraly

Werenski-Fabbro
Christiansen-Provorov
Harris-Severson
Johnson

Merzlikins

— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) January 23, 2025

Entering tonight’s game, Columbus forward Kirill Marchenko leads the NHL with a +28 rating.

Marchenko leads the Blue Jackets this season with 18 goals and has already set career highs in assists (33) and points (51). The Russian winger has three goals against the Kings throughout his NHL career.

Storyline Of The Day – In The Grind
I’d say this is the most grinding time of the season for the LA Kings.

In many ways, it feels like a 12-game roadtrip. The Kings were home for two of those games, sure, but following five games and ten days on the road, the Kings were back in California for one day off, one practice and two games. Then it was immediately back on the road. Of a 24-day span, the Kings were on the road for 20 of them.

“We’re a little over halfway through the season now and everyone’s starting to feel it a little bit more, so it’s just how much can you dig in and want it more than the next guy,” forward Tanner Jeannot said. “That’s what it’s all about. I think we have a really good character group in there that can really dig in and get the job done when called upon.”

So, what’s driving the team through this five-game trip?

The character Jeannot talked about is important, for sure. Regardless of the situation, that’s important at this time of the year.

Currently, it’s a gauntlet of a schedule. Columbus and Detroit are among the hottest teams in the NHL, both playing their best hockey of the season. Then, it’s a rematch against Florida, the defending champions, after the 2-1 Kings win over the Panthers on Wednesday at home. Following that are two firm playoff teams in Tampa Bay and Carolina, the latter now substantially stronger than when the Kings left home on Thursday after acquiring forward Mikko Rantanen yesterday evening.

“You’ve got to have that mindset of when your number is called, just go out there and do your job,” Jeannot added. “We know that these guys are really hot right now and that they’re a really good team over there. We’ve got to be ready and go out and start the roadtrip off right.”

In many ways, being on the road feels like being at home for this team.

Jim Hiller felt that on the most recent trip, the Kings did a better job of playing the same way on the road as they did at home. Wasn’t that way earlier in the season, but last trip was better. This trip presents another challenge and, frankly, a greater one.

The routine of being on the road is different but structured. Not to mention the Kings are as experienced as any team in the NHL. Tonight will be the 27th road game the Kings will play this season, tying them for the most in the NHL. By the end of this trip, the Kings will be at 31 away games played of the 41 scheduled for this season. Nothing longer than a three-game trip the rest of the way home.

“We love the road, we have a great time together as a team,” defenseman Joel Edmundson said. “Obviously, we love being at home, playing in front of our fans, but I think the team bonding goes a long ways, just being on the road together, 24/7. Another road trip and we’re looking forward to it.”

All starts tonight against Columbus.

3 To Watch For –
– Welcome Back, Laf!

While the Kings are still awaiting Drew Doughty’s lineup return, look for forward Alex Laferriere to make his own return to action tonight in Columbus.

Laferriere, like Doughty, was in a full contact jersey yesterday. He worked with the fourth line during line drills yesterday. He was slightly behind Doughty in terms of his return in terms of moving into the full-contact capacity but his recovery timeline was way shorter. Hiller noted that he’s only been out for a handful of days, so the team isn’t concerned with his readiness once he is healthy.

“After four days he was on the ice already, trying to get himself back,” Hiller said. “He’s fully conditioned, he’s ready to go. He’s probably been ready to go for a couple days, but we wanted to make sure that he was healthy.”

For Laferriere, he noted that typically with an injury, it’s the legs and the conditioning that is the hardest to find. He hasn’t lost those things, being on the ice since the team was in Seattle. He expressed an excitement to get back in tonight, calling it tough to watch from the sidelines, even if just for a few games.

One positive w/ Laf’s injury is he was able to stay on the ice, so he feels good conditioning-wise.

“I think the legs are the hardest thing to come back from when you’re out. I didn’t really miss that much time on the ice, so being able to keep my legs under me helped a lot.” https://t.co/XIC4I6C2RG

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) January 25, 2025

A welcomed return this evening.

– So……Drew Doughty.

“We’re optimistic it won’t be too much longer, but you just never know,” Hiller said of Doughty this morning. “It’s been a long time. We’re going to make sure that when he does come back, that everybody feels comfortable. Coaching staff, trainers, Drew himself, everybody’s comfortable.”

Here’s what we know.

Doughty has now been in a full-contact jersey for three consecutive skates, including yesterday’s practice which was higher paced and designed to challenge Doughty in uncomfortable situations. He was in the full-contact jersey today once again and was among the players who took the ice for today’s optional skate.

So, while tonight might not be the night, Doughty continues to work towards an eventual return. I think tonight was, at one point, an option but it’s got to be 100 percent. Could be Monday in Detroit, could be later in the trip. I would call it a true game-to-game decision and still sounds like all signs are pointing to a return on this trip.

– Lastly, a random stat from LA Kings PR this morning. Just found it fun.

Measuring at 6’6, Samuel Helenius is tied with Brian Boyle as the second-tallest player to score a goal for the Kings, trailing only Steve McKenna (6’8).

Forward Samuel Helenius scored his first career goal in Wednesday’s win over Florida. Massive goal for the Kings. Helenius scored midway through the third period with his team trailing 1-0. Probably weren’t a ton more shifts coming the way of his line with that gameflow, with the Kings in search of the game-tying goal. Couldn’t have asked for a bigger moment and the big man delivered.

While a longer-term development project, defenseman Jack Sparkes is in the system for the Kings standing at 6-8. The only man taller, I believe, than Helenius. So, should he reach the NHL and score a goal, he’s presently the only threat to Steve McKenna’s mark within the organization. Sparkes is in his first season of collegiate hockey at Clarkson University, so he’s a ways down the road for sure. Big day to be a big man.

Kings and Blue Jackets. 4 PM Pacific puck drop to begin the final five-game trip of the season!