Los Angeles and Pittsburgh are level on points, but the Kings arrive with a better recent run and a higher power-index ranking.
The Kings host Pittsburgh on Saturday with both clubs at 12 points, though Los Angeles has played two fewer games and ranks 24th in the power index to the Penguins’ 27th. Los Angeles is 3-2 over its last five and carries a one-game winning streak, while Pittsburgh has lost four straight and gone 1-4 in its last five. The key scoring matchup features Kings leader Artemi Panarin, with 17 points in 14 games, against Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson, who has 16 points in 16 games. Goaltending could decide a tight matchup: the Kings’ team save percentage is .890, compared with .874 for the Penguins.