Dec 05, 2025
3 min read
Who: Los Angeles Kings (12-7-7-7) vs. Chicago Bulls (11-9-6)
Content: 2025 27/82 regular season
WHEN: Thursday, December 4th at 7:00 PM Pacific
Asa: Crypto.com Arena - Los Angeles, CA
As follow: ESPN + / Hulu-Hulu-Audio - ESPN LA 710, ESPN LA App and La Kings app - @dolingok and @lakings
Today's news: the kings begin a two-game miniseries with the chicagowshawks tonight on Crypto.com ana as these two teams wrap up their regular season over the next three days after the next three days.
Among them: Forward Alie Alie Laferriere scored when the teams met in October, a 3-1 Kings win, and the left winger has allowed five goals in seven games over the past three seasons to lead the NHL.Forward Adrian Kempen assisted on that game, giving him eight assists over the past three seasons, third in the league in three seasons.
Roads of the Kings: The Kings led the work (for the most part) yesterday, went with the place, but it was good to go this morning.
Goaltender Darcy Kuemper didn't skate this morning, which lines him up tonight to make his second straight start between the pipes.Kuemper didn't play in a 3-1 win at Chicago earlier this season, but brings his career-high 9-3-2 record with a .915 save percentage and a 2.32 goals-against average against the Blackhawks.
As for today's lineup, I'm not entirely sure what to expect, but here's a prediction based on yesterday's training and injury updates –
Moore - Hoof - Kempe
Fiala - Byfield - Armia
Leverriere - Danault - Kuzmenko
Foegele - Turcotte - Perry
Anderson - Doty
Edmondson - Clark
Dumoulin - Secy
Drew Doughty and Warren Fogler are both expected to return to the Kings lineup tonight. Doughty has missed seven games with a lower-body injury, while Vogler has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury. Also, forward Phillip Danault, who missed yesterday's practice due to a maintenance day, will also be in the game. Again, the above is an educated guess, so wait for the warm-up to find out for sure.I expect 18 players to be on the field, not sure of the bottom six configuration and defensive pairings.
BLACKHAWKS VITALS: Chicago has lost six of its last seven games, most recently an entertaining 4-3 loss in Las Vegas on Tuesday night.
Here's how the blackhamks lined up in Crypto.com Arena this morning, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times -
The Blackhawks' lineup at the Morning Skate in Los Angeles is as of Tuesday:
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) December 4, 2025
Chicago forward Connor Bedard Rifres in Cour's top-10 NHL goals, assists and points this season and while he hasn't had much offensive success so far, he has found the back of the net at the United Center.Overall this season, Bedard ranks third in the NHL in scoring with 38 points, trailing Colorado's Macklinnon and San Jose's Macklin Meamerini.
Dens 历史——Drew-in Up A Return
Drew Doughty confirmed this morning that he will play tonight after missing seven games with a lower body injury.
"I'm happy, I'm ready to go," said DITY."I haven't lost any cardio and we've had a lot of individual work to get back to how we were before."
If we look back a few weeks, here's how things are.
He blocked the read as we saw him, threw his silk to the end, blocked the play, of course, preventing him from dissolving using the process.When he got the bench, he only took out one shot the first time, and he thought it would hurt a lot, but then he would stay.Time, the pain did not go away, he knew something.In the end, the scan showed that he did not buy it.
"Usually when you block a shot, you go back to the bench in a lot of pain. Then it slowly disappeared, but this one didn't go away. It was clear something unusual was going on," Dufty said.LA I was able to get a CT scan to confirm that, so we knew it wasn't going to be too long, too soon."
Kings must have been seen, that's for sure.
In the seven games he has missed, they have won just twice, with a 2-2-3 record.The Kings managed to maintain a strong level of defensive play, but only two goals per game were found in those seven games.
Doughty has more offensive potential in the offensive zone when it comes to the Kings' backend, but he's really a two-way defender.Still, he has a heavy shot on the back end for the Kings and a desire to shoot.A personality and leader like Doughty should bring natural advantages back to the lineup, just what he can do with the puck.All things that Jim Hiller and the team are excited to have back in the lineup.
“I look at it as the big picture with Drew.I just think his energy, his swagger when he walks into a room, I think it's just a general confidence that he doesn't have a great picture mind, he doesn't have a great picture mind, he doesn't have a great picture mind, he's not pure crime, he doesn't have a big picture mind."It's just a general confidence that he, along with [Joel Edmundson], is that they have a strong, hard hitting spot.So when you talk about trying to get packages for the team... for him to hit when he gets the chance.
The word "shangger" is a DOULULURT used.
When asked what he feels is lacking in the Kings' overall game, he used the same word, grit, as well as "confidence."He understands that the Kings need to do things differently to create more offense, but he also sees what he believes to be a lot of players who have confidence, a drop in levels.When the goals are not there, of course it happens.When the goals start coming, it gets better.An area that can help with clean breaks to move the puck in the right direction as well as play in the offensive zone.This is an area he can contribute to and seems focused on contributing.
Doughty is expected to play a good amount tonight, but I think the Kings will want to see his minutes in the 20s to keep him fresh for the long term.Brandt Clark has shown this season that he can play more on the right side, and I don't think the Kings should cut back on Doughty's minutes when he returns.It can be seen in the defense pairing.As mentioned in yesterday's practice report, there was a lot of mixing and matching with the pairings.So, let's see what we get tonight.
What we do, however, is that number 8 will do it for management and that's a good thing for a team that needs a little seed.
3 things to watch –
Tonight's match will also bring back the familiarity of Aren's body.Do not miss after talking to him yesterday when he said he was ready, but we have an official confirmation tonight.
Heard from Hiller this morning, he felt Foegele played his best game of the season last time, which was Nov. 24 against Ottawa.
"I thought his game at Ottawa was his best game of the year, so being hurt is very disappointed because he felt that was his best game," Shearer said about Fogler."Now, it's going to start building some momentum, so hopefully he can build on that last game even though he's been out. He has also had some time to reflect on his season, and I'm sure you've talked to him about it, and I think we're going to see a lot more of that from him, I think starting tonight."
Voegele is an important piece for royalty.He brings a lot of energy and Heller described him as the team's best rebounder in the offensive zone.Voegele led the Kings 5-for-5 last season, and getting him back in the game again is huge for the group.He felt very motivated yesterday and was looking forward to seeing him tonight.
– The concept of a two-match series is interesting from the coach's point of view.
It's not an advantage one way or the other, but it's interesting.
"I don't think so at all," Hillary said of back-to-back games against one time — you can only get a few more dials on everything all the time — but we all know that's probably not going to happen.
As Hiller said, there is no advantage one way or the other.It is the same for both groups.But what is interesting about the schedule is that we will see it once or twice a year.The Kings are not playing, but are scheduled to play Minnesota in back-to-back games on Jan.3 and 5. See how this plays out.
- Nomona, a reminder that tonight's game is nationally televised on ESPN+ / hulu.Cassie CAMPBLEWHAL-POCKALL will be the analyst after joining HA LA KISS HOLD last week.Funny how that works.See her in the group below.
Kings and Blackhawks, the first two games between the two clubs in Los Angeles this week at 7 p.m.
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