The Los Angeles Kings (14-9-9) and Florida Panthers (17-13-2) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EST at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Panthers are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5. The Panthers are a 58-cent favorite to win outright, while the Kings are priced at 43-cents to pull off the upset via Fanatics Markets.
Let's get into my Kings vs. Panthers predictions and NHL picks.
Kings vs. Panthers Odds, Pick
Kings vs. Panthers Preview
Los Angeles Kings
Some people get presents in their stockings, the Kings are collecting losses.
In December, there aren’t a whole lot of teams that have had a worse month so far than the Kings, as they’ve gone 2-3-2, most recently with a 4-1 loss to the Stars.
Coach Jim Hiller does have his boys working though. Within this month, Los Angeles is playing at a top-10 rate at both 5-on-5 offense and defense. So what gives?
Well, you can start with the fact that L.A. has the second-worst power play in the league, or a 17th-ranked penalty kill. Or what about the overall build of this roster?
General Manager Ken Holland loves his over-the-hill veterans, with the second-oldest team in the league. With no clear star on this team, it isn’t easy to see what direction he wants to go.
There are a good number of young players here, like Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke, but no one has taken that next step to be elite just yet. And when that happens, this will just be a team that continues to toe the line.
On the goaltending front, Darcy Kuemper was recently put on injured reserve, which means this will be Anton Forsberg’s net until he returns.
Forsberg is a career backup, and it shows. He’s not a poor goalie, but if he gets overworked, he’ll crumble. Currently, he’s playing to an .893 SV% and a 1.1 GSAx.
Florida Panthers
Florida is still feeling the effects of its star forward, Matthew Tkachuk, being out. Even though he’s been skating, he still isn’t cleared to compete just yet.
That’s why the Panthers are leaning heavily on Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart. I’m pretty sure we all knew what a player like Marchand brings to the table, but his ability to put the team on his back has been a revelation, averaging over a point per game and leading the team in scoring.
In December, there hasn't been a pretty turnout for Florida’s 5-on-5 game, as it’s been playing to a bottom-10 expected goals rate as well as on the defensive end.
The Cats’ special teams have performed fine. Their penalty kill is really what stirs the drink, as they’re ranked seventh in the league, but the absence of Tkachuk has hindered their ability on the power play.
Florida’s goaltending for the time being has been rather pedestrian, though we’re starting to see some uptick in Sergei Bobrovsky.
Bobrovsky does worry me, given how much hockey he has played over the past three years, but I’m impressed with him this month, playing to a .911 SV% and a 2.0 GSAx.
Kings vs. Panthers Prediction
Neither of these teams truly moves me.
However, I feel much safer backing the Panthers' moneyline than I do with any other option here.
I get it, safe bets don't move mountains, but I'd rather be conservative when I'm betting two teams that I can't get behind.
You may notice that the Kings actually have a fantastic record on the road – one of the best at that. But with Kuemper being out, it drastically lowers their ceiling on the road.
In the past three games Forsberg played on the road, it resulted in a loss in either regulation or overtime.
There isn’t a ton of juice here, and you’re paying a reasonable price for the safer side. Back the Cats.
Pick: Panthers ML
