Blues, Kings look to make up playoff ground against each other

The Los Angeles Kings will look to jump back into the win column and keep pace in the Western Conference wild-card race when they host the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles (29-26-18, 76 points) trails the Nashville Predators by one point for the second wild-card seed in the Western Conference entering Tuesday's action.

The Kings, losers of five of six (1-2-3), have been off since being thumped 6-2 by the visiting Utah Mammoth on Saturday night.

"We're definitely going to flush this one," said Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. "We've still got, whatever, nine games remaining. We've got to win, take it one at a time and win every one."

Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar added the other goal for Los Angeles, which is 10-17-8 on home ice this season.

"Just have the same mentality as we have on the road," Doughty said. "Go out there in the first period, and we're going to want the crowd into it, not take the crowd out of it, like we're on the road, but have that same mentality. Just go out there, grind, get on the forecheck early, things will start opening up to make plays later on in the game."

Darcy Kuemper allowed five goals on 16 shots and was replaced by Anton Forsberg to start the third period. Forsberg made 11 saves in relief.

Kempe paces the Kings with 27 goals and 35 assists through 72 games this season.

Wednesday is the third and final meeting of the season between the Blues and Kings. Los Angeles edged St. Louis 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 21 before picking up a 5-4 shootout win on Jan. 24.

St. Louis (31-31-11, 73 points) travels to Los Angeles after having its four-game winning streak snapped in a 5-4 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.

With nine games remaining, the Blues are four points back of the Predators for the final wild-card spot entering Tuesday's action.

Theo Lindstein, Pavel Buchnevich, Philip Broberg and Cam Fowler scored for the Blues, who lost for just the second time in regulation in their last 14 games (10-2-2).

"That had a playoff feel to it," said Blues coach Jim Montgomery. "For us, it's a lot of disappointment, hanging heads right now. I love the way we kept fighting to get back in it, but in the end, we made too many mistakes."

Jake Neighbours had two assists and Joel Hofer made 24 saves for the Blues, who are 13-19-4 on the road this season.

"Disappointing. We left a little on the table," Neighbours said. "I don't think we forced their hand enough into playing the style we want to play. Getting into a track meet-type game, and that's the way they like to play."

Robert Thomas paces the Blues with 33 assists and 49 points this season, while Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway share the team lead with 17 goals each.

St. Louis has dropped three straight against Los Angeles (0-1-2). The Blues' last victory over the Kings was a 3-2 shootout win on March 5, 2025.