LA Kings vs Colorado Avalanche projected lineups, odds, notes

After dropping two straight divisional games, the LA Kings host the Central Division-leading Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.

Projected Lineups

LA Kings (45-24-10)

Here’s how the Kings started against Vegas on Thursday, though these were jumbled up during the game.

Tonight's @LAKings Line Rushes –

Byfield – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Iafallo – Lizotte – Kaliyev
Grundstrom – Kupari – MacEwen

Gavrikov – Doughty
Durzi – Roy
Bjornfot – Walker

Korpisalo
Copley

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) April 7, 2023

There were no line rushes during Friday’s practice, we’ll see if there are any changes of note at the morning skate.

Colorado Avalanche (47-24-6)

Here’s how Colorado lined up in their 6-2 win over the Sharks on Thursday:

#Avs lineup tonight at the Sharks pic.twitter.com/3JiO0weGVw

— Kyle Fredrickson (@kylefredrickson) April 7, 2023

5-on-5

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

The two teams have been pretty close all season long in these 5-on-5 metrics, and that’s also held true over the past 25 games. Both teams are dealing with key injuries as well.

Special Teams

Both goals the Kings scored in their 5-2 loss to Vegas were via special teams. Anze Kopitar scored on the power play, while Vladislav Gavrikov scored a pretty short-handed goal. It wouldn’t be an LA Kings’ game without a power play goal against, though.

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 10 am ET/7 am PT may have changed since the writing of this article.

These are two pretty evenly matched teams from a statistical standpoint, and both are dealing with key injuries. LA comes into this one as home underdogs, with BetRivers offering +107. The visiting Avalanche are -120 at DraftKings. The total on the game is either 6 or 6.5, depending on where you shop. The best value on the Over is +112 on Over-6.5 at FanDuel, while BetRivers has the Under-6 at +102.

With so many injuries, this is a tricky one to handicap. If the Kings decide to jumble up the lines and if Cale Makar is still out, I’d take the Kings as home dogs in this one.

News & Notes

• The Avs, already without Gabriel Landeskog, Josh Manson, and Artturi Lehkonen, were also without Cale Makar and Darren Helm against San Jose. The two did travel to LA, but their status for Saturday is unknown.
• Thursday was Joonas Korpisalo‘s first rough game since coming to Los Angeles. The former Blue Jacket allowed five goals on 15 shots before giving way to Pheonix Copley. If the rotation continues, Copley will get the start on Saturday, but McLellan may opt to provide Korpisalo with a chance at redemption.
• Colorado is winners of three straight and is 8-2 in their last ten games. Despite their injuries, they are tied atop the Central Division with the Dallas Stars.
• LA’s regulation loss in Vegas ended any hopes of a division title coming to Hollywood. The loss also put a dent in any hopes of hosting a first-round series. The Kings are three points behind the second-place Oilers with just three games left.
• Mikko Rantanen scored a hat trick – and added an assist – on Thursday, giving him 52 goals and 98 points in 77 games. He could be one of the quietest 50-goal scorers in NHL history.
• Carl Grundstrom‘s recent hot stretch of play wasn’t a fluke. The hard-nosed winger is second on the team in shot attempts per 60 minutes and is now second on the team in 5-on-5 goals per 60 minutes and primary points per 60 minutes among players that have played at least ten games.
• Saturday could be an opportunity to jumble some line combinations up. After Friday’s practice, Todd McLellan talked about switching things around against Vegas to LA Kings Insider Zach Dooley.
• Among the changes we did see on Thursday included Arthur Kaliyev moving up the lineup, Quinton Byfield getting shifts as a center, and Tobias Bjornfot swapping with Vladislav Gavrikov on the first and third pairs respectively, on the blue line.
• The Kings hadn’t lost back-to-back games in regulation since a three-game skid in mid-January. They’ve now done it twice in the last six games.
• For those scoreboard-watching, the Edmonton Oilers are in San Jose for a 1 pm PT puck drop.

(Main Photo Credit: NHL.com)