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1/29 Preview – Doughty activated from IR, to debut tonight + Helenius to ONT, Expecting A Battle

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WHO: Los Angeles Kings (26-15-6) @ Florida Panthers (23-21-5)
WHAT: 2024-25 Regular-Season Game
WHEN: Wedbesday, January 29 @ 4:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: FanDuel Sports Network – AUDIO – ESPN LA App – TWITTER: @dooleylak & @lakings

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings are still in search of their first victory of the roadtrip, visiting the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers for Game 3 this evening.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: The Kings and Panthers squared off seven days ago in Los Angeles, with the Kings taking a 2-1 victory on home ice.

Forwards Adrian Kempe and Samuel Helenius scored in that game, with Kempe scoring the game-winning goal in the third period. Forward Kevin Fiala collected the primary assist on Kempe’s tally, his fifth point (1-4-5) from five games played against the Panthers as a King.

In total, the Kings have points in seven straight games versus the Panthers, winning six of those seven games.

KINGS VITALS: The Kings held a full-team morning skate today at the Panthers’ practice rink, after a full-team day off on Tuesday.

Goaltender Darcy Kuemper was off the ice first today for the Kings, pointing in his direction as the starter tonight between the pipes. Kuemper, who made 27 saves on 28 shots in the 2-1 victory over Florida last week, has a lifetime mark of 4-6-1 versus the Panthers, with a .914 save percentage and a 2.76 goals-against average.

Here is how the team lined up during this morning’s skate in Florida –

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

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

Kuemper
Rittich

He’s back!

Defenseman Drew Doughty will make his season debut tonight on the blueline. More on Doughty below.

Forward Kevin Fiala (illness) is a game-time decision tonight. Jim Hiller said he’s not sure if the Kings will go 11/7 or 12/6 at this time, with Fiala’s availability playing a role in that. To activate Doughty, the Kings assigned forward Samuel Helenius to the AHL’s Ontario Reign earlier today.

Sounds like defenseman Brandt Clarke will be a scratch tonight for the first time this season with Doughty checking in.

PANTHERS VITALS: Florida has been up and down of late. They’ve split their last two games. They’ve won 5 of their last 10. They’ve won 9 of their last 18. 9-8-1 in total in that stretch.

Per Jameson Olive of FloridaPanthers.com, here’s how the hosts lined up last time out against Vegas –

Former Kings defenseman Tobias Bjornfot was in the lineup when these teams met in Los Angeles but was reassigned to AHL-Charlotte earlier this week.

Defenseman Aaron Ekblad returned to the Florida lineup on January 25 in San Jose and has skated in each of the last two games, after missing eight of the previous nine. The former first-overall draft pick had a goal and an assist in his return to action versus the Sharks.

Storyline Of The Day – DREW

Today’s the day!

Defenseman Drew Doughty will make his season debut this evening in Florida. Expecting Doughty to start his night on the third pairing, alongside Jacob Moverare, while taking back his role on the top power-play unit.

“It’s been a long time, no question,” Jim Hiller said this morning. “The guys have done a really good job in his absence, so we’re proud of that d-core. We’re optimistic. He hasn’t played in a long time, so we don’t want to over-play him, but we probably will, coaches tend to do that. We want to keep the expectations realistic for him, it’s going to take him a little while to get back into form, but we’re happy we’re starting the process.”

It’s been a long and challenging process for Doughty. He probably felt he was ready to go in Columbus and Detroit, but with the long-term nature of his injury, there couldn’t be enough caution used. Couldn’t be a probably. Had to be 110 percent and right now, I think everyone feels that is the case.

Now comes the fun part and that’s seeing Doughty in the game tonight. As noted, it’s not going to be his usual role right off the bat. We won’t see “leads the NHL in ice time” Drew Doughty tonight. That could come down the road, but it won’t come tonight. The Kings have a plan to ease Doughty back into the game with a manageable role in the early stages.

“I think we have to be a little bit careful on the expectations,” Hiller said. “It does add a different element now to the team, a good one in our mind, for sure, but it’s different. Hopefully there’s no adjustment period, but we all know there likely will be for everyone.”

Doughty noted that he wasn’t going to come back and play nine minutes. I don’t think anyone expects that.

The expectation is that when he’s back, he’s back and able to go 15-20 as needed. I do think his minutes will be managed and monitored early. And, depending on how he looks, how he plays, how he feels, the Kings will manage and adjust things from there.

“I know when I get out there, I’m going to be looking over my shoulder being like I’m ready to go out for another shift,” Doughty said. “That’s part of the reason they want me 100 percent ready to be able to have the minutes, be able to play the way I need to play.”

More from Doughty himself HERE, speaking for the first time since returning to practice. Will talk to him after the game as well, see how he plays and how he feels.

Then he’s back. Might not play both games of the back-to-back this week, but we’ll check in on that area tomorrow. For tonight, just good to see Doughty back in the mix.

3 To Watch For –
– Doughty’s return comes at a time in the season when I think the Kings are in their most grinding stretch of hockey to date.

It happens to every team, but right now it’s 20 of 24 days on the road, lots of games, lots of travel. Perhaps that’s where Doughty can help on another level. He said that it is that point in the season when there is a natural lull. He’s going to try his best to spark the group a bit.

“This is kind of the area of the season where guys are getting tired,” he said. “We have 40 games left, and then once there are 20 games left before playoffs, you kind of get the energy back, but there’s a little lull, usually, during the season. I’m going to come in and I’m going to be happy as could be, as excited as can be and bring a lot of energy to the boys.”

Certainly can never accuse Doughty of not bringing energy to the team. Should come right now at a time when the Kings need it.

– The Kings are expecting another battle tonight, coming against a team they just played in a 2-1 game seven days prior.

Defenseman Joel Edmundson said he’s going into tonight’s game expecting the same type of contest. Forward Alex Turcotte said the same thing. A hard-fought, low-scoring game that mirrors a playoff game.

For the Kings, that’s been the kind of game they’re comfortable with. We know that two goals a night isn’t going to cut it the rest of the season. More on the offensive issues HERE, but against a team like Florida, the intensity has to be there. The playoff mentality has to be there. That’s how the Panthers play and the Kings matched that last week. Will need the same type of showing here tonight.

“I think that’s the way both teams like to play,” defenseman Mikey Anderson said this morning. “For as much skill they have, they’re still very direct and play a bit of a grinding game too. We’re expecting it should be pretty similar and a fun game to play in.”

We saw that game last week and the expectation seems to be that we will see it again.

– Lastly, sharing a post from the Kings on Eisbaren Berlin player Tobias Eder.

Tobias played for the Kings-affiliated club in Germany but sadly passed away yesterday due to cancer at the age of 26. Eder was a huge part of the team’s championship winning season in 2023-24 and represented Germany internationally. Really sad, man.

Kings and Panthers, 4 PM Pacific puck drop here in the Sunshine State. See if the Kings can get back on track in a tough building.

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