Vancouver Canucks Gameday Preview #71: The Final Game Of The Home Stand Against The Los Angeles Kings

The Vancouver Canucks (21–41–8) have finally reached the end of their eight-game March home stand, with their final game taking place against the Los Angeles Kings (28–25–15) tonight. Vancouver has gone 2–5–0 so far through the home stretch, with their most recent match being a 5–3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings, one of the handful of Pacific Division teams battling for a wild card spot in the playoffs, last played in a 3–2 shootout loss against the Calgary Flames. 

Vancouver will be seeing lots of the Kings as they prepare to round out their 2025–26 season. Tonight’s game marks the first of three that they’ll play in against Los Angeles ahead of the season end, with their other matchups coming on April 9 in California and April 14 in their final game at Rogers Arena this year. The last time these two teams faced off was on November 29 in a 2–1 overtime loss for Vancouver. 

With Los Angeles still looking for a playoff spot, and Vancouver officially eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the week, tonight’s game could be one of a few that the Canucks play spoiler for in the Kings’ post-season wishes. Los Angeles has lost their last four games, though they have picked up two overtime loss points during this stretch, while yet another defeat would put them in an even deeper point deficit than before. If Vancouver stays consistent to some of their efforts through the home stand, they may end up being a big factor into the Kings missing out on the playoffs. 

Players To Watch: 

Elias Pettersson

Fresh off a night that saw him score his 500th NHL point, Elias Pettersson will be a player to watch on the Canucks tonight. He had two power play helpers in his team’s loss to the Ducks, with his line also scoring his team’s third goal of the game. Including this effort, the forward is now up to five points in his past four games. Adding to that, he is two goals away from becoming ninth-all time in franchise goals scored — a milestone that would see him pass former Canucks captain Bo Horvat on the list. 

Artemi Panarin

Prior to his team’s loss to Calgary, Artemi Panarin had scored a goal in six of his past 10 games. Since joining the Kings via trade, he’s scored six goals and 11 assists in 15 games played. His most recent run of play has been even more impressive, with the forward putting up a six-game point streak before the loss to the Flames. As Los Angeles’ leading scorer, he’ll be a player to watch come tonight.  

Vancouver Canucks (21–41–8): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 15–28–43

Filip Hronek: 8–33–41

Brock Boeser: 17–20–37

Jake DeBrusk: 15–18–33

Linus Karlsson: 13–17–30 

Goaltenders: 

Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1

Kevin Lankinen: 8–24–5

Nikita Tolopilo: 5–6–2

Jiří Patera: 0–1–0

Los Angeles Kings (28–25–15): 

Points: 

Artemi Panarin: 25–49–74

Adrian Kempe: 26–33–59

Kevin Fiala: 18–22–40

Quinton Byfield: 17–23–40

Brandt Clarke: 8–30–38

Goaltenders: 

Darcy Kuemper: 17–13–13

Anton Forsberg: 11–11–5

Pheonix Copley: 0–1–0

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: Rogers Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: Sportsnet 650 

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