Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Puck drop: 9:00 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming: ABTV (Kings regional), NESN (Bruins regional), ESPN+
This is the first meeting of the 2026-27 season. The Bruins continue a California road trip (second half of a back-to-back after facing Anaheim on Friday), while the winless Kings look for their first victory of the year at home.
Current Rosters / Key Personnel
Bruins: David Pastrnak (points leader), Fraser Minten (strong early scoring), Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm, Charlie McAvoy, and goaltenders Jeremy Swayman or Michael DiPietro (possible backup start due to the back-to-back).
Kings: Artemi Panarin, Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, and goaltender Darcy Kuemper (or Anton Forsberg).
Injury Reports
Bruins:
No significant injuries reported. Charlie McAvoy has returned from an earlier suspension.
Kings:
Kevin Fiala (lower leg) — out.
Mats Zuccarello (undisclosed) — out / IR.
Alex Turcotte (undisclosed) — out / IR.
Jakub Dvorak (upper body) — out.
Jan Jenik (undisclosed) — out.
The Kings are missing key offensive pieces, which has contributed to their scoring struggles.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
David Pastrnak / Fraser Minten vs. Kings defense: Boston’s top scorers face a Los Angeles group that has allowed goals at a high rate. Pastrnak remains a consistent threat.
Artemi Panarin / Adrian Kempe vs. Bruins structure: The Kings’ skill players will try to generate offense against Boston’s strong defensive core led by McAvoy.
Special teams: Bruins power play has been functional; Kings penalty kill has struggled significantly early (one of the league’s weaker units).
Goaltending: Swayman (elite early numbers) or DiPietro vs. Kuemper. Boston holds a clear edge if Swayman starts; the back-to-back raises the possibility of DiPietro.
Recent Team Forms
Bruins: 5-2-0 overall (strong start with a three-game win streak entering the California trip, including a 6-3 win at San Jose). Offense has been potent, and defense/goaltending has been solid. They are playing the second night of a back-to-back.
Kings: 0-3-2 overall (winless). Coming off a 4-1 home loss to Edmonton. They have been outscored significantly, with defensive and special-teams issues, and limited secondary scoring due to injuries.
Series History
This is the first 2026-27 meeting. Recent prior seasons featured tight, low-scoring games, with Boston often prevailing in close contests (including overtime decisions). The Bruins swept the season series in some recent years with narrow victories.
Betting Trends
Unders have potential given both teams’ recent lower-event or defensive leanings in spots, though Boston’s offense has been productive.
Game Odds
Boston Bruins 5.5
Los Angeles Kings – 133
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, October 16, 2026
