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Kraken (19-24-3) vs Kings (25-12-5) | 7:00 p.m.

One: Keep the Beniers-Kakko chemistry going
For all the Kraken struggles on the just-completed 2-3-0 road trip, the emergence of chemistry between centerman Matty Beniers and new linemate Kaapo Kakko provides reason for optimism.
Kaako has points in six of his last seven games – including five in his last four contests – while Beniers has five goals in his past 10 after managing just four in his first 36 outings. Getting a Beniers-centered line solidified would count as huge progress for the Kraken as they look to bolster their offense.
Jared McCann has just three goals since November and yet he’s still tied with Jaden Schwartz for the team lead with 13. McCann is also still the team points leader with 33, which shows how much the squad has struggled offensively overall.
They’ve scored two goals or fewer in five of the last seven games – losing all of those five contests. In fact, the Kraken have scored two or fewer in 10 of their prior 11 defeats, the lone exception being a 4-3 shootout loss to Vancouver back on Jan. 2.
So, generating any offense where they haven’t had it before becomes key. They didn’t have Kakko in-the-fold until last month’s trade and they had been lacking any serious production from Beniers before he got his new linemate. If it continues, the team can turn its attention to shoring up some of the other trios.
Two: Keep feeding Daccord whatever he’s been eating lately
Joey Daccord had been keeping the Kraken in games prior to a food poisoning bout that knocked him out of a road contest in Manhattan early last month and prevented him from playing in some subsequent contests. He got hurt after that and was limited to sporadic duty, thus leading to somewhat of a long, lost month of action for him in which Philipp Grubauer filled in admirably for a spell.
But Grubauer came back to earth quickly in losses at Columbus and Detroit, while Daccord was back to his prior self in the three road contests he started. Daccord won two of the three and probably deserved at least a point in Winnipeg on Thursday before the Kraken surrendered the winning goal off a bad bounce in the final minute.
In those three starts, Daccord stopped 98 of 104 shots for a .942 save percentage. Do that all season, he’d win the Vezina Trophy. We’re likely too deep into the season to worry about such things now, but this is reminiscent of vintage Daccord from a year ago when he seemed to will the Kraken to victory on a nightly basis.
The Kraken trailed in both his road victories but Daccord kept them in it long enough for the offense to rally. That’s what needs to happen from here, with the offense still trying to find its consistency.
Three: Know your foe
Well, the bad news for a team having trouble scoring goals is that the Kings have done a great job of preventing them of late. They’ve given up only six goals in their last six games, with netminder Darcy Kuemper having plenty to do with that.
Kuemper started five of those games – including a 5-1 win in Vancouver on Thursday – and yielded only four goals. For those scoring at home, that’s 0.80 goals against average and a .971 save percentage that span – making Daccord’s feats of recent games seem like a warmup act.
Three of those wins came on the Kings’ current five-game trip, which wraps up at Climate Pledge Arena. Kuemper’s only defeat this stretch was by a 1-0 count against vaunted Edmonton, while he took down the mighty Jets in Winnipeg 2-1 the prior game.
He is 9-1-2 overall since Dec. 7.
This season marks the second Kings’ stint for a 34-year-old goalie who’s bounced around with five different teams in his career. Netminding has been a struggle for otherwise playoff-worthy Kings teams in recent seasons, so they’re hoping this Kuemper run is a sign of things to come and can make a difference this spring for a club currently holding down third place in the Pacific Division.
Otherwise, it’s the usual cast of Kings’ characters leading the way, with Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar tied atop the team points race with 41, followed by Alex Laferriere and Kevin Fiala at 26 and 24. Warren Foegele also has 24 points and though not exactly a Connor McDavid clone, the former Oilers’ forward had five goals in 11 career games against the Kraken with Edmonton before moving on to the Kings this season.
The Kraken managed to hold him scoreless in a game against the Kings two months ago.