Kings Vs Kraken: Playoff Pressure Builds as Los Angeles Visits Seattle
The kings vs kraken matchup on Monday night carries real stakes for Los Angeles, which enters its 80th game still chasing the final wildcard spot. The Kings can clinch a playoff berth with a win over Seattle in any fashion and a Nashville Predators regulation loss to the San Jose Sharks, making this a must-track night at climate level urgency. Seattle, meanwhile, is looking to build on its own recent momentum after a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames.
Clinch scenarios and current form
Los Angeles comes in after a 1-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers, a game in which Anton Forsberg made 27 saves for the shutout. The Kings are carrying a four-game win streak into the kings vs kraken meeting, and their recent run has kept the playoff race very much alive. Seattle is 34-34-11 overall and has a 16-7-1 record in Pacific Division games, while Los Angeles is 34-26-19 with a 9-5-9 mark in division play.
The standings picture adds weight to every shift. Seattle has a minus-26 scoring differential with 220 goals scored and 246 allowed, while Los Angeles has a minus-17 differential with 211 scored and 228 given up. The Kings have also gone 6-1-3 over their last 10 games, averaging 3. 1 goals while allowing 2. 5 per game.
Kings Vs Kraken projected lineups and absences
The projected Kings lines list Artemi Panarin with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe on the top unit, followed by Trevor Moore, Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere; Joel Armia, Scott Laughton and Jared Wright; and Mathieu Joseph, Samuel Helenius and Taylor Ward. Los Angeles has scratched Jacob Moverare, and Jeff Malott, Alex Turcotte and Andrei Kuzmenko are out with undisclosed injuries or a meniscus issue.
The Kraken’s projected groups show Bobby McMann with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle, Eeli Tolvanen with Chandler Stephenson and Jaden Schwartz, Berkly Catton with Frederick Gaudreau and Kaapo Kakko, and Ryan Winterton with Oscar Fisker Molgaard and Jacob Melanson. Seattle is missing Shane Wright, Philipp Grubauer, Joey Daccord, Matt Murray and Jared McCann, while Wright is not expected to play even after skating in a regular jersey.
What to watch from Anton Forsberg and Seattle
Anton Forsberg is expected to start again for Los Angeles after being named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Monday. His recent stretch has been sharp, with no save percentage lower than. 935 in his last five starts, giving the Kings a clear edge in goal if that form holds.
For Seattle, the focus is on managing the injuries and getting productive minutes from a lineup that has already been reshaped. Chandler Stephenson leads the Kraken side in the listed top performers with 16 goals and 32 assists, while Bobby McMann has five goals and two assists over his past 10 games.
What happens next in the kings vs kraken race
The immediate next step is simple: Los Angeles needs to handle its business against Seattle and then watch the out-of-town result that could put its playoff fate over the line. If the Kings win and the Sharks beat the Predators in regulation, the postseason door opens; if not, the pressure stays on, but the kings vs kraken result still matters as a possible reason the playoff streak survives another night.
