Los Angeles Kings Conclude Road Trip Against Chicago Blackhawks Amid Early-Season Adjustments

The Los Angeles Kings wrap up their five-game road trip on Tuesday evening as they visit the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center for their first meeting of the 2026-27 NHL regular season. Entering the contest with a 3-5-2 record, the Kings look to close out the trip strong against a Blackhawks squad sitting at 3-8-0 as Chicago concludes a four-home-game stand.

Los Angeles enters the matchup following a victory that snapped previous difficulties in the middle frame. Earlier in the road trip, the Kings struggled significantly in the second period, getting out-attempted 84-47 over three games and ranking near the bottom of the league in second-period goals. Captain Drew Doughty addressed the issue bluntly ahead of recent games, noting that the team had discussed the lapse and intended to correct it.

That proactive mindset materialized on the ice during the recent stop in New York, where the Kings generated 15 shots on goal in the second period, scored twice, and dictated the pace through an aggressive forecheck involving multiple forwards. Defenseman Mikey Anderson noted that the team focused on advancing the puck decisively rather than playing passively, allowing them to establish sustained offensive zone time.

Tuesday’s contest marks the first of ten back-to-back sets for Los Angeles this season, nine of which involve traveling between two road cities. Last season, the Kings played a league-high 16 back-to-back sets. Head coach Peter Laviolette emphasized the importance of managing ice time during such stretches to preserve energy for the following night.

“When you go into games that are back-to-back, you do anything to win the first game, but ideally, you’re thinking in your head if you can really run the bench and manage the minutes and keep a lot of guys under 20 minutes, it pays, I think, benefits for the next day and the next night,” Laviolette said.

In the previous game, balanced deployment allowed Los Angeles to keep minutes manageable, with no forward exceeding 20 minutes and none of the top-four defensemen playing past 22 minutes. That depth was reflected on the scoreboard as all 18 skaters registered at least one even-strength goal contribution, and four different defensemen scored in the same game—only the third time in franchise history that feat has occurred.

Forward Taylor Ward provided an immediate spark in his season debut after being recalled on October 17 and spending previous games as a healthy scratch. Ward scored just 75 seconds into the game off a pass from Doughty, converting on a breakaway opportunity that rewarded his patience in the AHL and provided a boost to the bottom-six forward group. Meanwhile, veterans like Artemi Panarin and Alex Laferriere continued strong offensive outputs, with Panarin ranking high in league scoring metrics since the trip began.

With goaltender Darcy Kuemper having started the previous night, goaltender Anton Forsberg is expected to take the net against his former club. Forsberg posted a 22-save performance on 23 shots in a 3-1 victory at the United Center last season. Forward Mats Zuccarello remains on injured reserve after being sidelined prior to the New York game, while Cody Ceci and Jared Wright remain options for lineup adjustments.

Chicago enters the matchup searching for its first win of a four-game homestand following losses to Dallas, Montreal, and Florida. Forward Patrick Kane leads Chicago skaters with six assists and seven points this season, while young star Connor Bedard recently returned from injury after leading the Blackhawks with two goals against Los Angeles last season.