{"id":426459,"date":"2026-01-20T23:16:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T23:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/426459\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T23:16:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T23:16:11","slug":"1-20-preview-perry-returns-pp-focus-projected-lineup-tonights-settings-ward-on-chances-role-gavrikov-returns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/426459\/","title":{"rendered":"1\/20 Preview – Perry Returns, PP Focus + Projected Lineup, Tonight’s Settings, Ward on Chances & Role, Gavrikov Returns"},"content":{"rendered":"

WHO: Los Angeles Kings (19-16-13) vs. New York Rangers (21-23-6)
WHAT: 2025 Regular-Season Game 49\/82
WHEN: Tuesday, January 20 @ 7:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: Crypto.com Arena \u2013 Los Angeles, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: FanDuel Sports Network \u2013 AUDIO \u2013 ESPN LA App & LA Kings App \u2013 TWITTER: @dooleylak<\/a> & @lakings<\/a><\/p>\n

TODAY\u2019S MATCHUP: The Kings will play their final home game in the month of January as they host the New York Rangers this evening at Crypto.com Arena.<\/p>\n

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Since he joined the Kings in 2022, Fiala leads all Los Angeles players with four goals from six games played against the Rangers. The Switzerland native has collected six total points versus New York in that span. Forward Warren Foegele led the team last season with two goals and three points in the season series with the Rangers, including the game-winning goal at Madison Square Garden in December 2024. <\/p>\n

KINGS VITALS: The Kings held an optional morning skate today, following yesterday\u2019s full-team practice. <\/p>\n

Look for goaltender Darcy Kuemper to get the nod tonight between the pipes. Kuemper has a 10-4-0 record lifetime against the Rangers, with a .909 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average. Kuemper was in net for both Kings wins over New York last season, as he allowed just two total goals on 55 shots against. <\/p>\n

Between yesterday\u2019s practice day and today\u2019s morning skate, here\u2019s what we might see from the Kings in tonight\u2019s game \u2013<\/p>\n

Kempe \u2013 Laferriere \u2013 Perry
Foegele \u2013 Byfield \u2013 Armia
Fiala \u2013 Turcotte \u2013 Kuzmenko
Malott \u2013 Helenius \u2013 Ward<\/p>\n

Anderson \u2013 Doughty
Edmundson \u2013 Clarke
Dumoulin \u2013 Ceci<\/p>\n

Kuemper
Forsberg<\/p>\n

The Kings assigned forward Andre Lee back to the Ontario Reign yesterday morning, to make way for the activation of forward Corey Perry. Should the team look for any lineup changes, defenseman Jacob Moverare is the only available healthy scratch projected for tonight\u2019s game. <\/p>\n

RANGERS VITALS: New York concludes the Southern California back-to-back this evening in Los Angeles, coming of an 5-3 loss last night in Anaheim. <\/p>\n

From Peter Baugh of The Athletic, here\u2019s how the Rangers lined up last night at Honda Center \u2013 <\/p>\n

#NYR<\/a> lines <\/p>\n

Miller-Zibanejad-Perreault
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreni\u00e8re
Othmann-Laba-Cuylle
Raddysh-Carrick-Brodzinski<\/p>\n

Gavrikov-Schneider
Robertson-Borgen
Vaakanainen-Morrow<\/p>\n

Martin
Quick https:\/\/t.co\/VxgfWHZ9O3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Legendary Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick will get the start tonight against his former club, as confirmed yesterday by Rangers Head Coach Mike Sullivan. Quick is 1-1-0 with a .952 save percentage and a 1.18 goals-against average in three career appearances against the Kings. New York is currently without goaltender Igor Shesterkin and defenseman Adam Fox due to injuries. <\/p>\n

Storyline Of The Day \u2013 Perr-er Play
The Kings will welcome back forward Corey Perry to the lineup tonight, after he missed the last three games to attend to an illness in his family.<\/p>\n

As far as the power play is concerned, it\u2019s much needed.<\/p>\n

Before practice yesterday, the Kings had their top unit on the ice very early working on a few different things. Perry was included in that group, working at the netfront, joining Brandt Clarke, Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko. It\u2019s generally the unit that\u2019s worked the best, though with Kempe in for Quinton Byfield, who moved to the second group.<\/p>\n

Looking at Saturday\u2019s defeat in Anaheim, the power play was the biggest reason why the Kings lost. That\u2019s not to say they played well at 5-on-5, because, well, they did not. Despite it, though, the power play could have driven a victory. <\/p>\n

In the second period, the Kings had five power plays \u2013 FIVE \u2013 but got outshot in the period as a whole. They scored once in a 5-on-3 situation but had so many opportunities to pull ahead in a 1-1 game and they weren\u2019t able to do it. They wound up losing 2-1 in overtime, a game they should have found a way to lead in but didn\u2019t, another night when poor execution in important situations let the team down.<\/p>\n

Enter Perry, who has just seemed to make that unit work this season. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think the one thing with him is you have pretty much a full-time presence at the net,\u201d Hiller said. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t like to wander too much, so he\u2019s there. Any puck directed has got a chance, he tips them as well as anybody in the league. I would say that\u2019s the confidence of the overall group and the simplicity.\u201d<\/p>\n

On that note, Hiller believes that Perry\u2019s presence is something that really benefits Clarke at the top. <\/p>\n

Seems like the two of them have connected on simple plays quite a bit this season. Perhaps having Perry at the net is encouraging Clarke to shoot more pucks, as opposed to dish it off. Hiller believes the two work hand-in-hand and having Perry back in front should really help Clarke as well. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think what you\u2019ve seen specifically is Clarkie and him, there\u2019s been a lot of assists that Clarkie\u2019s got, they\u2019ve ended up somehow on Perrs\u2019 tape,\u201d Jim Hiller said of bringing Perry back into the fold. \u201cThey haven\u2019t been hard shots, but Clarkie has found a way to get it there and Perrs, whether he tips it, gets a rebound or makes a pass off it, he\u2019s been able to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perry shouldn\u2019t be seen as a savior. But the splits kind of speak for themselves here since the holiday break.<\/p>\n

With Perry: 7-for-18
Without Perry: 1-for-16<\/p>\n

With Perry on that unit, the Kings have been productive. Without Perry, they\u2019ve scored just once in five games and that was on a two-man advantage. It\u2019s just looked a lot better with him in the fold and seems like everyone finds their place when he\u2019s at the netfront. Hiller wants to see the Kings attack the net more with that unit and feels that adding Perry back into the fold helps in that area, with Perry helping the cause from there.<\/p>\n

Even just from the standpoint of team mentality, players within the room have spoken to the presence that Perry has and how it impacts the group.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe brings composure, for sure, and obviously the experience goes a long way, he keeps it even keel,\u201d forward Alex Turcotte said of Perry. \u201cWe\u2019re lucky to have him back. It\u2019s definitely tough when he wasn\u2019t here, but we understand obviously with personal stuff. We\u2019re really lucky to have him and we need him.\u201d<\/p>\n

See how it goes. <\/p>\n

The Rangers scored twice on the power play last night in Anaheim and they\u2019re a Top-10 power play this season. Kings would do well to find something from that unit as well in tonight\u2019s game. <\/p>\n

3 To Watch For \u2013
\u2013 Should be an interesting game tonight, against an interesting opponent. <\/p>\n

The Rangers have won two more games than the Kings this season, yet earlier this week, they came out publicly to speak about their intentions to sell veteran players for younger players and future assets. Shows the difference between the East and West right now. The Rangers have 21 wins but are nine points back of the second wild card. The Kings have 19 wins but are two points back of both a wild card position and a Pacific Division spot, with a game in hand. <\/p>\n

One organization is fully throwing in the towel, the other insists everything is fine. <\/p>\n

Leads to questions from the Rangers perspective, certainly, on how tough it must be for the veterans there in particular, considering all of the speculation that exists as a result of the statement. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a game that, if you\u2019re the Kings tonight, you have to go out and win the game. You just have to. Rangers are playing their third game in four nights and their management has publicly stated their intentions to trade veteran players for draft picks and prospects. The Kings should be a desperate team, considering where they are currently at, and on paper, they\u2019re coming into this game at a good time. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s one thing to say the word desperate. Another to go out and show it. Tonight\u2019s a night when they have to go show it, especially when you consider the above. <\/p>\n

\u2013 As noted above, the Kings did make one roster move yesterday, as they loaned forward Andre Lee to the AHL\u2019s Ontario Reign. With that, it means that forward Taylor Ward remains with the big club and will play tonight versus the Rangers.<\/p>\n

Both players were up on emergency recalls, so with Perry back, the Kings had to assign one to the AHL. Hiller called it a \u201creally hard decision\u201d and relayed it had very little to do with Lee\u2019s game. More to do with Ward and how he\u2019s shown himself in limited time.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had the post and the crossbar, would have made a big impact in the game, so that\u2019s the two things you look at there is he can really shoot the puck,\u201d Hiller said of Ward. \u201cHe\u2019s a dependable, two-way player but I think \u2013 and not just me \u2013 he\u2019s got more offense in him, he\u2019s got a little bit more [than we thought]. He had that great preseason, he just looks like he might have the ability to score a little bit too. I think that\u2019s probably why it\u2019s giving him the nod, just a little bit, as far as we think he might be able to add a little bit of offense for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

In some ways, you look at those plays Hiller mentioned as just another example of the Kings getting chances and not finishing them. I think with Ward, though, a player who really isn\u2019t thought of as being a real source of offense, maybe it\u2019s a little bit different. You don\u2019t think of Ward as really being the guy who is expected to generate those chances. Yet he has been. He\u2019s gotten into some high-danger areas and he\u2019s twice beaten a goaltender, but not the post. <\/p>\n

How does Ward internalize those chances?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just keep going,\u201d he said this morning. \u201cYou can only do what you can do and I feel like I\u2019ve been taking good shots, picking good spots and they just haven\u2019t been going in, haven\u2019t been getting a good bounce. I\u2019ll just keep doing what I\u2019m doing and eventually they\u2019ve got to go in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ward is expected to remain in the lineup on a line with Jeff Malott and Samuel Helenius. He had his best chance in Anaheim on a connection with Helenius, as he gained inside positioning off the rush and got a shot off after a Helenius assist, that was one of the two that hit the post. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a combination he\u2019s comfortable with and is keen to see continue. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re just on the same page, we\u2019ve played together for a long time in the minors and now up here, we\u2019re familiar with each other\u2019s habits and thought processes,\u201d Ward added. \u201cWe\u2019re on the same page. We try to keep it simple, create energy, be physical and play below the dots. When we\u2019re both on the same page, it\u2019s easy to read off each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Lastly, tonight marks the return of defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to Los Angeles. <\/p>\n

Expecting a nice moment for Gavrikov during the first period, as the Kings honor his three seasons with the club, which spanned 196 games between the regular season and playoffs. A good teammate who brought good vibes to those around him, while playing an effective game on the ice. He\u2019s been missed in both areas this season, that\u2019s for sure. Hope he gets a nice reception for who he was while he was in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n

Kings and Rangers, one last game in California before hitting the road for a six-game trip to end the month.<\/p>\n