LOS ANGELES – The Florida Panthers will close the book on their season-opening road trip with a matchup against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
On a three-game point streak to start the season, Florida sits at 1-0-2 in the standings.
In their last outing, the Panthers picked up a point in a 3-2 overtime loss in Anaheim.
“The 5-on-5 has been pretty good,” forward Sam Reinhart said of the team’s early-season play. “We don't give up a lot. That's a positive. The goalies are playing great. That’s the hockey that we want to play, and to maybe generate a little bit more offense.”
Still searching for their first win, the Kings have gone 0-1-1 to start their season, including suffering a 5-4 overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks in their last outing on Saturday.
A new era in Los Angeles, longtime captain Anze Kopitar retired at the end of last season.
“Yeah, it's a little bit weird when I look the lineup,” Reinhart said of the absence of Kopitar, who spent all of his 20 NHL seasons with the Kings. “But they still have really good guys, skills guys, and they can make a play. So, we need to be ready for that for yourself.”
For more information on tonight’s game, continue below.
EYE ON THE CATS
MIKKSY’S MILESTONE: Niko Mikkola is expected to suit up in his 400th career NHL game tonight. A veteran of eight seasons – four of them coming with the Panthers – the 30-year-old defenseman has notched 73 points (17G, 56A) in his career. Since joining Florida prior to the start of the 2023-24 season, Mikkola leads the team in hits (452) and blocks (297).
ELITE AT EVEN: The Panthers have been one of the top teams in the NHL at 5-on-5 in the early goings of this season. Over 131:35 at 5-on-5, they’ve outscored the opposition 3-1 in goals while leading 53-38 in scoring chances. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, Florida’s 2.85 expected goals against at 5-on-5 is currently the lowest mark in the NHL.
PLAY THE HITS: As expected, the Panthers have been punishing their opponents. Through three games, their 34.62 hits per 60 minutes leads the NHL. Twenty different players have tallied at least one hit, with Garnet Hathaway and Brady Tkachuk leading the way with 12 each.
FIVE KEY STATS
- The Panthers have surrendered just one goal at 5-on-5 through three games.
- Brady Tkachuk has 12 points (2G, 10A) in 12 career games vs. Los Angeles.
- Seth Jones is averaging a team-high 28:26 of ice time per contest.
- Dmitry Kulikov is two assists away from his 200th NHL assist.
- The Panthers went 2-0-0 against the Kings in 2025-26, leading 8-4 in goals.
THEY SAID IT
“They look fast. Pete (Kings head coach Peter Laviolette) does a real good job getting his teams to play at pace. They're really, really aggressive. They look like Nashville did when he was there. They’re a strong team.” – head coach Paul Maurice on the Kings
“It's really a different look. You see the game in different areas. ... It’s a position that I've switched a lot back and forth with, and the more time you're able to play there, the more comfortable you are.” – Sam Reinhart on his recent move from wing to center
“I feel like he's even faster. He's getting faster every year. He’s playing great. He has been and is still one of the best [defensemen] in the league.” – Niko Mikkola on Seth Jones’ start to the season
OPPOSITION OUTLOOK
- Artemi Panarin, Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield each had a goal and an assist during Saturday’s loss to the Sharks. Despite that production, the Kings’ top line has been outscored 3-1 at 5-on-5 so far this season.
- Erik Haula has recorded a point in each of his first two games with the Kings. Joining Los Angeles on a two-year contract in July, the 35-year-old forward has recorded 377 points (168G, 209A) in 842 career NHL games.
- Darcy Kuemper is expected to get the nod in net for the Kings. In his lone start of the season, the 36-year-old veteran surrendered eight goals on 29 shots in an 8-4 loss at Colorado on Sept. 30. In 13 career starts against the Panthers, Kuemper has posted a 4-7-1 record with a .917 save percentage.
PROJECTED LINEUP
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sandis Vilmanis
Brady Tkachuk – Sam Reinhart – Brad Marchand
Boko Imama – Lars Eller – Garnet Hathaway
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Dmitry Kulikov
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Uvis Balinskis – Radko Gudas
Goaltenders
Jacob Markstrom
Akira Schmid
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- Oct. 3: F Sam Lafferty and D Alexander Petrovic recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
TV & Streaming: How to Watch
Radio: 104.3 WQAM-FM/560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); 106.3 WESP-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH-FM (Florida Keys); 101.7 WCZR-FM (Treasure Coast); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Find a Place to Watch: Cats on Tap
