11/15 Preview – Forsberg In Net, No Other Changes Expected + 22/55/14 Line “Connected”, PK Improvements, Ottawa Returns

TODAY’S MATCHUP: The Kings have won their first three games on this trip and look to continue their positive momentum tonight in Ottawa.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Forward Anze Kopitar led the way with four assists and five points against Ottawa last season, while forwards Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere each scored three goals in the two games played. Kopitar has 12 assists and 15 total points in his last eight games played against Ottawa, including nine points (2-7-9) in his last five games played at Canadian Tire Centre. Against teams that have played exclusively in the Eastern Conference throughout Kopitar’s career, his 1.04 points-per-game is his best mark.

KINGS VITALS: The Kings held an optional morning skate today, following a full-team practice yesterday afternoon in Kanata.

Look for goaltender Anton Forsberg to get the nod between the pipes tonight against his former team. Forsberg, who signed on a two-year contract from Ottawa this summer, played 142 of his 195 career NHL games with the Senators, over the span of five seasons. In two career games played against Ottawa, Forsberg is 2-0-0 with a .934 save percentage and a 1.92 goals-against average.

Between yesterday’s practice and today’s morning skate, here’s how the Kings are projected to lineup this evening against the Senators –

Armia – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Foegele – Danault – Moore
Malott – Turcotte – Perry

Anderson – Doughty
Edmundson – Clarke
Dumoulin – Ceci

Kuemper / Forsberg

Lineup looks identical to what we saw in Toronto, which is unsurprising, considering how well the Kings played. That means Jeff Malott remains in, after a good performance for him and the fourth line against the Maple Leafs.

Forward Andrei Kuzmenko is set to miss his second consecutive game – more on him HERE – while forward Samuel Helenius and defenseman Jacob Moverare are also options to check in should any additional changes be desired or required.

SENATORS VITALS: Ottawa has won three of its last four games, including a 5-3 win over the Boston Bruins last time out on Thursday evening.

Per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch, here’s how the Senators aligned during their last game out against Boston –

Tonight’s alignment #Sens

Perron-Stutzle-Batherson
Greig-Cozens-Zetterlund
Amadio-Pinto-Giroux
Cousins-Eller-MacDermid

Sanderson-Zub
Kleven-Spence
Matinpalo-Jensen

Merilainen starts

— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) November 13, 2025

Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk will not play tonight against the Kings due to injury. A trio of former Kings – defenseman Jordan Spence, forward Michael Amadio and utility player Kurtis MacDermid – are all expected to be in tonight’s lineup, with Spence facing the Kings for the first time in his NHL career. Spence has seven points (1-6-7) from nine games played since he was traded to the Senators over the summer.

Storyline Of The Day – Looking Familiar
“It took us a little bit more time to get back to how we were finishing the year last year, but yeah, I think we’re definitely feeling more connected now.”

That was forward Alex Laferriere, talking about his line with Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield.

When the Kings departed Los Angeles last week, those three players had not been on the ice for a 5-on-5 goal so far this season together, despite playing regularly on the same line.

Last season, when it was at its best, there was just a flow to the way they played. Like the beat of jazz. Just didn’t click the same way early and Byfield admitted there was some frustration creeping in, for himself and for the line.

“I feel like at the start of the season and little bit frustration kind of creeped in, but over the last few games, we got our confidence back,” Byfield said. “We’re making plays again with each other, knowing where each other are, just got it going a little bit and feeling really confident.”

Then came the trip.

In Pittsburgh, Fiala was the driving force behind a 3-2 Kings victory, but all three players have now gotten on the scoresheet on this trip, with the line on the ice for a goal together in all three Kings wins to date.

Behind the production has been a steadily strong set of chances and puck possession metrics.

Shot Attempts: 42-22 (65.6%)
Scoring Chances: 25-12 (67.6%)
High-Danger Chances: 12-6 (66.7%)
Goals: 3-1 (75%)

Last year, from February 1 on, Fiala and Byfield led the Kings in scoring through the end of the season. It made sense to keep that line together, with Laferriere proving to be an effective complement with the work he brings. That chemistry didn’t carry over to start the season, but now it seems to be coming back, feeling like it did a season ago.

“I think it shows when all three of us on the ice are kind of just throwing pucks and they’re ending up on each other’s tape,” Laferriere added. “We know where each other are going to be and know each other’s habits, so I think right now, it’s going well.”

For his part, Jim Hiller has seen the same kinds of things.

Asked him this morning about the word connected, that Laferriere and Byfield both referenced.

“I think they’re starting to find their rhythm a little bit, I think connected is a good word for them, especially in the o-zone,” Hiller said of that line. “They were they were spread out and consequently didn’t have a lot of sustained pressure. We’re seeing them become a little more dangerous and start to look like they did towards the end of last year.”

When they’re on, they’re as dynamic a line as the Kings have. Be good to keep that production up going forward.

3 To Watch For –
– Since a slow start, the Kings have really turned things around as of late on the penalty kill.

During the month of November, the Kings are operating at 92.3 percent. Extending that stretch out to their last 10 games, the Kings rank third-best in the NHL at 89.3 percent. In the early goings here, there were certainly some concerns in that area, though everyone maintained that the system and the structure was there, the Kings just weren’t finishing off kills.

Now they are, delivering an aggression we didn’t see earlier in the season.

“[Associate Coach D.J. Smith] has gotten them to be a little bit more aggressive, I think last year we were probably one of the most aggressive, this year we were maybe in between just a little bit,” Hiller said. “More than anything, I think it’s just getting back on our toes.”

While the power play isn’t producing as it was earlier in the season, the penalty kill has really found a way to right the ship, especially on the road. Over the last ten games, the Kings have allowed as many shorthanded goals as they have power-play goals. Positive in one way, not so much in the other. But the penalty kill has really solidified things as of late, looking as they did for the bulk of last season. That deserves to be highlighted.

– Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson recently added to his list of accomplishments in the department of shooing a hockey puck really, really hard.

“He probably has a harder shot than anyone on our team,” forward Joel Armia said.

Joel Edmundson pulled the @LAKings even against his former team by converting on a 96.75 mph slap shot according to NHL EDGE. #NHLStats

Watch now : https://t.co/dT34F4MhkC pic.twitter.com/SJOE1jZro1

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) November 12, 2025

Earlier this season, Edmundson recorded a shot on goal that measured 99.1 MPH, the sixth hardest recorded shot on goal in the NHL this season. On his one-timer goal against Montreal on Tuesday, Edmundson’s shot was registered at 96.8 MPH, the hardest recorded shot that went into the net this season.

“He’s been ripping those all year and we want him to continue to do that,” forward Quinton Byfield said. “As well as he plays defensively, he has a lot of upside offensively as well.”

Only Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman has more shots between 90 and 100 MPH this season than Edmundson does. Keep firing, big man!

– Lastly, always a nice homecoming here for Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke.

Clarke was born in Nepean, ONT, about 30 minutes away. His parents will both be in attendance tonight for the game, along with some friends and family.

“I love being here, I love being in this area,” Clarke said. “Montreal, my parents came there, so many friends coming to the game in Ottawa and my extended family in Toronto, so this whole little swing is really fun for me and I’m happy to experience it with them. I’m happy they come support me, it’s just a lot of fun and I’m really enjoying it.”

Same goes for defenseman Cody Ceci, who is both an Ottawa native and also played with the Senators for six seasons to begin his NHL career. Ceci was a first-round pick by Ottawa in 2012 and played 440 regular-season games for the Senators from 2013-19. He was also on the Senators team that reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017.

“Yeah, it’s always special for me,” Ceci said of coming back. “Just having a lot of family and friends come to the game, it’s always adds that much more to come back to Ottawa, I should have quite a few people coming tonight.”

Always a nice touch to get those moments for players throughout a season.

Kings and Senators, Game 4 of 5 here on the East Coast as the trip rolls on.