Kings Vs Mammoth: Kings hit the road tonight with lineup changes looming and playoff pressure rising
kings vs mammoth is on tap tonight as the Kings open a three-game road trip against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center. The matchup comes immediately after two missed opportunities at home, with the Kings also navigating a back-to-back and travel that erased any morning skate in Utah. The urgency is clear: the Kings are chasing ground in the playoff picture while Utah is pushing toward what it describes as the first playoff berth in franchise history.
Kings Vs Mammoth tonight: back-to-back, no morning skate, and a goaltending lean
As of 7: 30 p. m. ET on March 22, 2026, the Kings are set to play the second game of a back-to-back after a 4-1 loss at home to the Buffalo Sabres. With the flight and schedule squeeze, the Kings did not hold a morning skate in Utah, a key detail as lineup decisions come into focus without the usual on-ice pregame routine.
Goaltender Darcy Kuemper is expected to start at Delta Center after Anton Forsberg started the previous game at home. Kuemper carries a 4-0-0 lifetime record against Utah, along with a. 914 save percentage and a 2. 25 goals-against average in four career starts against the club.
On the Utah side, the Mammoth are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks and are slated to dress the same 18 skaters from that game. The projected goaltending picture points to Karel Vejmelka for Utah.
Projected lineups and expected changes as the Kings search for answers
Lineup movement is in the air for Los Angeles after Interim Head Coach D. J. Smith spoke about looking to insert Alex Turcotte and Mathieu Joseph into the lineup in Utah. It remains unclear whether both will play or where they would slot, but the expectation is that the Kings could make “a couple of changes” tonight.
Defenseman Jacob Moverare is on the trip and ready if the Kings opt for a change on the blue line. The Kings also did not have morning skate time to confirm final combinations on the ice.
Projected forward lines for the Kings list:
- Artemi Panarin — Anze Kopitar — Adrian Kempe
- Trevor Moore — Quinton Byfield — Alex Laferriere
- Alex Turcotte — Scott Laughton — Joel Armia
- Jeff Malott — Samuel Helenius — Mathieu Joseph
Scratches noted for the Kings include Jacob Moverare, Taylor Ward, and Jared Wright. The team is also without Andrei Kuzmenko due to injury. For Utah, projected lines include a top unit of Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Lawson Crouse, with scratches listed as Liam O’Brien, Brandon Tanev, and Nick DeSimone.
There is also a direct storyline in the middle of the lineup: Joel Armia scored two goals the last time these teams met in Utah earlier this season, helping the Kings to a 4-2 win. Adrian Kempe posted multiple points in that game with a goal and an assist, and he owns five points (2-3-5) in four career games versus the Mammoth. Kempe took rushes in the lead-up, with his availability to be determined.
Immediate reactions: tight third periods have defined the Kings under D. J. Smith
The Kings’ recent trend line has been spelled out bluntly in team analysis: under Interim Head Coach D. J. Smith, the Kings have played 10 games, with eight of those tied in the third period. In those eight, the Kings have just two wins, posting a 2-4-2 record in those contests.
Zooming out further, the Kings have played 39 one-goal games this season out of 69 total. A separate breakdown notes that 58 of those 69 games were within one goal in the third period, underscoring how often the Kings have lived in razor-thin margins late.
What’s next: the road trip begins with kings vs mammoth under maximum stakes
Tonight’s result shapes the immediate tone of the three-game trip, with the Kings trying to stabilize after a 4-1 loss and Utah aiming to respond after its own 4-1 defeat. The next developments to watch at Delta Center are final confirmation of the Kings’ lineup changes, Kempe’s status, and whether the Kings can finally flip another tight third period their way in kings vs mammoth.
