LA Kings vs Vegas Golden Knights projected lineup, odds, notes

Brendan Lemieux returned to the lineup and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him stay against the rival Golden Knights. I would expect Alex Edler to draw back in and Pheonix Copley to get the nod in net. We’ll learn more after the team’s morning skate.

Vegas Golden Knights (24-11-1)

This was the Vegas lineup in their shootout win over St. Louis:

There continue to be noticeable absences of Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore. As always, we’ll see if there are any updates after their morning skate.

5-on-5

Here’s how the two teams match up at 5-on-5 per Natural Stat Trick

Vegas hasn’t been quite as dominant in the past in terms of their possession metrics, but they do a very good job under Bruce Cassidy controlling the quality of scoring chances. They’re battling injuries again this season but have banked plenty of points to start the season to whether that storm.

Special Teams

Vegas brings a top-ten power play into this one, though Jack Eichel could still be out for this one as he continues to deal with a lower-body injury. Neither team has had a particularly good penalty kill this season. It’s a little surprising from Vegas given how well their goaltending has been.

Betting Odds

Let’s look at the odds, courtesy of Betstamp.

*Note: the odds below are for sports books offered in New York. Refer to available sports books specific to your state.

**Odds as of 9 am ET/6 am PT may have changed since this was published.

The LA Kings are home favorites on Tuesday night with BetMGM offering the best number at -110. It’s not often you’ll find Vegas at plus-money so if you do like the road underdogs, BetRivers has that at +104. The total on the game is either 6 or 6.5 depending on where you shop. If you like the Over, you can find a few 6’s out there, but the best value is actually 6.5 +104 at BetRivers. The best number on the Under is also at BetRivers at -122.

Despite the injuries that Vegas is dealing with, I do not feel comfortable backing the Kings as favorites in this one. If the +104 is still around on Vegas that’s not a bad way to go.

News & Notes

• After a disappointing loss in Arizona last week, the Kings sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 44 points, trailing Vegas by five. LA has played just one more game than Vegas but they have played five more than the third-place Seattle Kraken. This is a good opportunity for the Kings to grab two points against a banged-up Vegas team to close the gap at the top of the division.
• This will be the first meeting between the two teams since the opening night of the season. Vegas won the game 4-3 on a late Mark Stone goal and they dominated the game at 5-on-5 with a 61.6 CF% and xGF% (per Natural Stat Trick). They also out-chanced the Kings 21-13 in the high-danger area.
• Vegas has won back-to-back games with a 5-2 win over Arizona followed by a 5-4 shootout win against St Louis last Wednesday and Friday. Despite battling some key absences to their lineup in Eichel, Shea Theodore, and Alex Pietrangelo, they’ve been able to keep their heads above water at 5-4-1 in their last ten games.
• The Golden Knights have been known as being a great team at home since they came into the league, but they’ve quietly been excellent on the road this season, posting a 14-2-1 record away from T-Mobile Arena.
• After a needed schedule breather, we’ll see how the LA Kings approach the goaltending situation. Jonathan Quick certainly wasn’t bad against Arizona, but I don’t know how the team can’t continue to ride Pheonix Copley until Quick returns to form.