The Los Angeles Kings will face off against the Vegas Golden Knights tonight in their final matchup of the regular season against the defending champions. Forward Adrian Kempe has been a key player for the Kings, leading the team with three points (1-2-3) from the first two games played against Vegas.

Joining Kempe in the offensive efforts are Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kevin Fiala, Anze Kopitar, and Jordan Spence, each contributing two points against the Golden Knights. Kopitar, in particular, has had success against Vegas, scoring his 400th career goal in the NHL and accumulating 34 career points against the defending champions, more than any other player.

The Kings, taking into consideration the back-to-back set of games, did not hold a morning skate today. Goaltender Cam Talbot is expected to start in the net for the Kings this evening, following David Rittich's previous start in yesterday's victory over the San Jose Sharks. Talbot has already started the two previous games against the Golden Knights this season, registering a record of 1-0-1. Throughout his NHL career, Talbot has an 8-7-3 record with a .903 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average.

The Kings are not expected to make any lineup changes for tonight's game. Their lineup against the Sharks included Byfield, Kopitar, and Kempe in the forward positions, with Anderson and Doughty forming the defensive pairings.

On the other side, the Golden Knights are also playing a back-to-back series, having suffered a defeat against the Anaheim Ducks last night. Goaltender Jiri Patera is likely to start for Vegas against the Kings, marking his first time facing Los Angeles in his NHL career. So far this season, Patera has recorded a 1-2-0 record, with a .897 save percentage and a 3.98 goals-against average.

The Golden Knights have several former Kings players in their lineup, including Michael Amadio, Ben Hutton, Alec Martinez, and Brayden McNabb. Hutton recently signed a two-year contract extension with Vegas. Notably, forward Jack Eichel has been performing impressively, joining the ranks of 13 NHL players with at least 15 goals and 20 assists this season.

After a strong showing leading up to the holiday break, the Kings' Laferriere/Dubois/Kaliyev line continued to shine in their last outing. Head coach Todd McLellan praised their intensity, effectiveness, and confidence as a group of three. Their efforts resulted in an impressive night of offensive play, with the line generating 20 shot attempts, 11 shots on goal, and 11 scoring chances while only allowing eight shot attempts against.

As the Kings and the Golden Knights meet for their final regular-season matchup, all eyes will be on Kempe and the Kings' dynamic line to see if they can topple the defending champions once again.