Coming off a third straight playoff appearance, and despite an extended opening road stretch, the Los Angeles Kings are eager to start their season.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres already find themselves in a hole.
Starting their campaign with a seven-game road trip due to arena renovations at home, the Kings will try to hand the Sabres a third consecutive loss to start the season Thursday night.
Los Angeles has posted at least 99 points in each of the last three seasons, but has not won a playoff series since 2014. The Kings won’t play a home game this season until Oct. 24.
Despite all that, the Kings are excited about what’s potentially in store for the season. Adrian Kempe posted a personal-best 75 points and Trevor Moore set career highs for goals (31) and points (57) last season. They are two of the five Los Angeles skaters with at least 20 goals who are back in the mix.
That also includes 37-year-old Anze Kopitar, who will try for a third consecutive 20-goal campaign. Meanwhile, newcomers Warren Foegele (career-high 41 points with Edmonton in 2023-24), Tanner Jeannot, Joel Edmundson and Darcy Kuemper all add experience to the cause.
“The guys that they brought in, and the guys that have been on the team in the past, I think it’s a good group in here,” Edmundson told The Athletic.
“We have a lot of size. We’ve got a lot of speed. But, I think everyone can play physical and we got the tools to do it now.”
Last season, Los Angeles ranked third in the NHL with a 2.41 goals-against average. David Rittich posted a 2.15 GAA in 24 games.
Cam Talbot recorded 27 wins and a 2.50 GAA in 54 games for Los Angeles but is now in Detroit. Enter Kuemper, in his second stint with the Kings, who looks to get back on track after a 3.31 GAA in 33 games for Washington last season.
Los Angeles has been outscored 13-0 in its last two games at Buffalo, but the Sabres must regroup and refocus after losing both games to New Jersey last week in the NHL Global Series in Prague.
Buffalo was outscored 7-2 in those contests, with star Tage Thompson and Owen Power recording the goals. The Sabres went 0-for-6 on the power play.
“Find it, fix it, forget about,” forward Alex Tuch told the Sabres’ official website. “You have to move on.
“If you dwell on it too much and look too far ahead, that’s when things kind of spiral out of control. We’re 0-2 to start the year. It’s not the end of the world, but we know we have to play better.”
Buffalo hopes to have injured forwards JJ Peterka and Zach Benson back Thursday. However, veteran forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body issue.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi allowed three goals apiece in Prague. Luukkonen stopped 33 shots during the Sabres’ 7-0 home rout of Los Angeles last season.
Thompson, looking to rebound from a 56-point campaign last season after posting 94 in 2022-23, has been held without a point in his last three games against the Kings.
