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Los Angeles continues a six-game road trip with a stop in Sunrise, Florida to face the Florida Panthers. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. EST.
The Kings enter tonight with a 27-17-6 record (60 points) and sit third in the Pacific Division. Adrian Kempe leads the team in scoring with 19 goals, while Kevin Fiala and Gabriel Vilardi are tied for second with 17 goals. Fiala is the point leader with 51 and sits 12 points ahead of Anze Kopitar. Kopitar’s 39 points headlines a group of six Kings with at least 30 this season. Los Angeles will likely turn to Pheonix Copley in the net tonight. The 31-year-old is 14-3-0 with a 2.80 goals against average and an .897 save percentage in 18 games this season.
The Panthers carry a 23-21-6 record (52 points) into tonight’s game and sit fifth in the Atlantic Division. Florida has been led by Matthew Tkachuk all season. Tkachuk is tied atop the Panther leaderboard in scoring with Carter Verhaeghe, as each skater has notched 25 goals this season. Tkachuk’s 62 points lead the team, while Aleksander Barkov’s 43 ranks second. Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour have tallied 41 points each, while Sam Reinhart’s 38 points round out the Florida top five. Alex Lyon has filled in recently, while Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight have been out of the lineup. Lyon is 2-1-1 with a 4.30 GAA and an .870 SV% in four games.
Los Angeles has won four straight games against Florida, including the first meeting between the sides this season. Tonight’s projected starting goaltenders are Copley for the Kings and Lyon for the Panthers.
Prediction: Florida 5, Los Angeles 3
The Panthers love to score and are finally beginning to round into offensive form. Both teams allow a ton of goals, and this should be a high-flying event. I am going to side with the team that, I believe, has the better offense. If Lyon does start for the Panthers, then be wary of taking them outright. The over in this game seems like the best bet.
Odds Presented By Betfred Sportsbook
Spread- Los Angeles Kings +1.5 (-215) / Florida Panthers -1.5 (+170)
Moneyline- Los Angeles Kings +120 / Florida Panthers -140
Total- 6.5 – Over (-135) / Under (+115)
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