SEATTLE KRAKEN NOTES:
CURRENT INJURIES – (MAN GAMES LOST: 67)
Jaden Schwartz (upper body; LTIR) – 9 games – week-to-week
Andre Burakovsky (upper body; IR) – 6 games – week-to-week
Philipp Grubauer (no designation; IR) – 5 games – week-to-week
Justin Schultz (upper body) – 5 games – day-to-day
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Tonight’s game is the second of three consecutive games the Kraken will play on the road, their final games before the NHL holiday break. • There are several franchise milestones on the line for tonight’s game against Los Angeles. A Seattle victory tonight would… o Mark the Kraken’s fifth win against Los Angeles since the start of the 2021-22 season, which would tie Nashville and Chicago for their second-most wins against a single opponent. ▪ The Kraken have defeated the San Jose Sharks six times, a franchise best. o Give the Kraken four road victories against a single team for the first time in franchise history. o Give the Kraken four consecutive road victories against a single team for the first time in franchise history. • Seattle has scored 31 goals against Los Angeles since the start of the 2021-22 season, which is their third-most against a single opponent. o The Kraken’s 3.44 goals against per game against the Kings is their eighth-best mark against a single opponent. • The Kraken have played three overtime games against the Kings in their history, which is tied with Dallas and Detroit for their most against a single opponent. • A win or overtime loss tonight would give the Kraken points in five consecutive games for the second time this season. • The Kraken have gone 18-for-19 on the penalty kill dating back to Dec. 7 vs. the New Jersey Devils. Their 94.7 percent success rate on the penalty kill during that span was the best mark in the NHL entering play Tuesday. o The Kraken went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill in their last game on Dec. 18 against the Dallas Stars, who had the 10th ranked power play in the league entering play Tuesday.
DETHRONING THE KINGS
• Matty Beniers has six points (two goals, four assists) in six career games against Los Angeles. • Oliver Bjorkstrand has scored a goal in each of the last three games he has played against the Kings. • Jordan Eberle has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in his last six games against the Kings. His 10 points against Los Angeles as a member of the Kraken are the most of any Seattle skater since the start of the 2021-22 season. • Jared McCann has four points (three goals, one assist) in his last four games against Los Angeles. • Adam Larsson has three points (two goals, one assist) in the last three road games he has played against the Kings, • Justin Schultz has five assists in the last three games he has played against the Kings.
IT’S NOT OVER UNTIL IT’S OVER
• The Kraken have scored with less than three minutes remaining in regulation to send each of the last two games they have played to overtime. o Eeli Tolvanen scored with 22 second remining in regulation to tie the score at three in Seatle’s last game on Dec. 18 at Dallas and Oliver Bjorkstrand scored with 2:29 left in regulation to tie the score at two in Seattle’s Dec. 16 game vs. Los Angeles. • If Seattle’s matchup with Los Angeles goes beyond regulation tonight, it will mark the second time in franchise history that three straight games required overtime. The team previously had three straight games go to overtime from Nov. 13 to 19, 2022. • Twelve of the 33 games the Kraken have played this season have required extra time, with eight of those 12 games being played on the road. • Only the Toronto Maple Leafs (13) have had more games go beyond regulation than the Kraken entering play Tuesday. • Only 17 of the 82 regular-season games the Kraken played last year and 10 of the 82 regular-season games they played in 2021-22 went beyond regulation. • Andre Burakovsky, Jordan Eberle and Adam Larsson have each scored two overtime goals during their tenures with the Kraken, which is tied for the most in franchise history. o In all, nine different players have scored an overtime goal for the Kraken since the start of the 2021-22 season: Matty Beniers, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Burakovsky, Vince Dunn, Eberle, Yanni Gourde, Jared McCann, Larsson and Justin Schultz.
LOS ANGELES KINGS NOTES:
WARM-UPS
1) Kevin Fiala has 12 points (1-11=12) in his last six games against the Kraken, including seven (1-6=7) over his last three outings.
2) The Kings are 4-0-1 against Pacific Division opponents this season.
3) Anze Kopitar’s first period tally last night in San Jose marked the 67th game-opening goal of his career. Only Marcel Dionne (70) and Luc Robitaille (69) have more game-opening goals in franchise history.
4) Quinton Byfield’s +12 rating this season tops all 2020 NHL Draftees.
5) David Rittich stopped 15 of 16 shots last night in San Jose to earn his first victory with the LA Kings in his debut with the team. He became the 28th different netminder in club history to record a victory in their first start with the team.
vs. SEATTLE ALL-TIME:
All-Time Record: 5-2-2
Home: 1-2-1
Away: 4-0-1
OT: 0-2
Shootout: 1-0
2022-23: 1-1-2
2023-24: 1-0-0
FRANCHISE LEADERS vs. SEATTLE:
Adrian Kempe* – 8 GP, 7 PTS (2-5=7)
Kevin Fiala* – 5 GP, 7 PTS (1-6=7)
Anze Kopitar* – 8 GP, 6 PTS (3-3=6)
Phillip Danault* – 9 GP, 6 PTS (4-2=6)
Gabriel Vilardi – 6 GP, 6 PTS (4-2=6)
*-denotes active roster player
LAST MEETING vs. SEATTLE: Dec. 16, 2023 – LAK 3 at SEA 2 (SO) Venue: Climate Pledge Arena
LAK Goals: Moore (14), Kopitar (12), Grundstrom (SO GDG)
SEA Goals: Larsson (2), Bjorkstrand (10)
Goalies: LAK: Talbot (W; 17 saves, 19 shots)
SEA: Daccord (SOL; 36 saves, 38 shots)
PP: 1-4
PK: 1-2
INJURY & MGL REPORT Player, Status (Consecutive Games Missed, Total Games Missed, Dates)
F Viktor Arvidsson, 28 games, Oct. 11 – Pres.
F Blake Lizotte, 6 games, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5
D Tobias Bjornfot, 3 games, Nov. 24 – Nov. 29
D Vladislav Gavrikov, 3 games, Dec. 13 – Pres.
G Pheonix Copley, 2 games, Dec. 19 – Pres.
2023-24 Total Regular-Season Man-Games Lost: 43
RECENT TRANSACTIONS (as of 12/19/23
Dec. 18 – Jacob Moverare (D) recalled from Ontario (AHL).
MARCH TO 2024
Tonight’s game marks the third contest of a seven-game stretch for the Kings against Pacific Division opponents as the club rounds out the 2023 calendar year. Prior to this stretch, the team has played three games against divisional foes, securing points in all three contests (3-4 SOL vs. VGK on Oct. 28; 4-1 W at VGK on Nov. 8; 5-2 W at ANA on Nov. 24). Of their five remaining games in 2023, four are at Crypto.com Arena and one on the road:
