Kings Vs Devils preview: Kopitar’s road-points record, projected lines, and how to watch March 14
The kings vs devils matchup on March 14 puts the Los Angeles Kings (27-23-15) on the road against the New Jersey Devils (32-31-2) at Prudential Center, with puck drop set for 7 p. m. ET.
Kings Vs Devils: the setup, standings, and why this game matters tonight
New Jersey enters the night listed 15th in the Eastern Conference with 66 points, while Los Angeles is eighth in the Western Conference with 69 points.
The Devils are playing the sixth contest of a seven-game homestand. That stretch has included three wins followed by two losses, leaving New Jersey looking to return to the win column in front of its home crowd.
For the Kings, the game continues a heavy travel run: Los Angeles is in the middle of a five-game road trip and is also finishing a back-to-back set in New Jersey.
Projected lines, injuries, and the individual spotlights
Los Angeles is expected to keep the same lineup it used Tuesday in Boston, with these forward lines:
Artemi Panarin — Anze Kopitar — Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore — Quinton Byfield — Alex Laferriere
Alex Turcotte — Scott Laughton — Jared Wright
Jeff Malott — Samuel Helenius — Taylor Ward
On defense, the alignment listed is:
Anderson — Doughty
Edmundson — Clarke
Dumoulin — Ceci
Mathieu Joseph and Jacob Moverare were identified as options if there are changes. The Kings’ injury list for the game includes Joel Armia (back), Andrei Kuzmenko (meniscus), and Kevin Fiala (fractured leg).
New Jersey’s listed lineup has Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer on the top line, followed by Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes, and Connor Brown. The Devils’ injury list includes Stefan Noesen (knee), Zack MacEwen (ACL), and Brett Pesce (lower body). Colton White, Dennis Cholowski, and Evgenii Dadonov were listed as scratched.
Two individual storylines stand out. The Kings are coming off a record moment from Anze Kopitar: against the Islanders, he scored in the first period to become the franchise’s all-time leader in road points, passing Marcel Dionne. Kopitar now has 608 road points (221-387-608), one more than Dionne.
For New Jersey, Jack Hughes is the featured player to watch after producing four goals and 11 points over his last eight games. He also had a hat trick and four-point night against the Rangers, and the preview notes he has been on a hot streak since the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games.
There’s also recent history between the clubs: when these teams met in Los Angeles in November, Mercer scored twice and Jacob Markstrom made a season-high 43 saves in a 4-1 Devils win. Mercer has a team-best four goals in his last six games against the Kings.
What happens next: goaltending expectations and how to watch kings vs devils
In net for Los Angeles, Darcy Kuemper earned the win in yesterday’s game against the Islanders. Based on that, the expectation laid out ahead of the game is that Anton Forsberg gets the start tonight against New Jersey. Forsberg is in line to make his 11th career appearance versus the Devils, which would tie his most against any opponent, and he holds a 3-3-1 record against New Jersey with a. 903 save percentage and a 3. 17 goals-against average.
From a viewing standpoint, kings vs devils begins at 7 p. m. ET at Prudential Center and will be broadcast on +.
As the night unfolds, the immediate question is whether New Jersey can halt its two-game dip within the homestand, and whether Los Angeles can carry momentum from Kopitar’s milestone performance through the second night of a back-to-back on the road.
