The Los Angeles Kings hosted the Florida Panthers on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena in their 2026-27 home opener, and Darcy Kuemper appeared to be in line for his second start of the season. It was the Kings’ first home game of the year, but it also came with familiar context: Florida had already made things difficult for Los Angeles a season ago, and both teams arrived with lineup questions.
Kuemper likely gets another look
Kuemper’s expected start stood out because the Kings used him in a game that followed an overtime defeat against San Jose. That came after the club had gone with the 11/7 alignment, suggesting the coaching staff was still sorting through its early-season options. If Kuemper does get the nod, it would give Los Angeles a chance to see how he handles another high-profile home matchup against a team that gave the Kings trouble last season.
The Panthers beat the Kings twice last season and ended a five-game home winning streak that Los Angeles had built against Florida. Corey Perry and Joel Armia each scored against Florida in one of those meetings, but the Kings were unable to turn that into a season split.
Florida arrives with injury and lineup questions
Florida entered the game in the middle of a busy early stretch, with another overtime game on Sunday against the Ducks. Sam Reinhart was at center in that game, while Brad Marchand returned to action. The biggest injury note remained Aleksander Barkov, who sustained a lower-body injury in San Jose last week and was placed on LTIR.
The Panthers’ situation added another layer to a game that already had plenty of context. Florida has been dealing with early-season lineup changes, while Los Angeles was trying to settle into its first home game and find the right mix after the overtime loss in San Jose.
Kings plan for the same group
One of the clearer lineup signals for Los Angeles was that the Kings were expected to use the same 18 skaters after morning skate. That would give the club some continuity at a time when it is still trying to build rhythm early in the season. For a team opening at home against a playoff-tested opponent, keeping the same skaters together suggests the coaching staff wanted familiarity more than a major shakeup.
For the Kings, the game was less about making a statement and more about getting settled. For the Panthers, it was another test in a short window filled with overtime and injury-related uncertainty. In that sense, Panthers Vs Kings was exactly the kind of early-season game that can reveal a lot without feeling like it decides anything yet.
