Los Angeles vs San Jose Prediction 31 March 2025
🔊 Will the Kings solidify their standings? Los Angeles have already secured their spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs and are now focusing on more immediate goals. The team aims to improve their position to secure home-ice advantage in the first round. San Jose, on the other hand, became the first NHL club to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
Head-to-Head
The two Californian clubs have faced off three times in the current regular season, with the Sharks holding the upper hand. The visitors have claimed victory twice (4-2, 7-2) while suffering a single defeat (2-3). These results somewhat contrast with the teams' standings, but there's nothing surprising about them. This is a full-fledged state derby where current status takes a back seat. The biggest contribution to San Jose's success came from their young center, Macklin Celebrini, who scored a brace in the third game. The projected top pick in the 2024 NHL Draft has already racked up 53 points in his first full season in the league and seems well on his way to claiming the Rookie of the Year award. Deservedly so.
Head-to-head statistics Los Angeles - San Jose
Los Angeles Kings Team Overview
Jim Hiller's squad have hit an impressive stride as the regular season draws to a close. Over their last 10 games, the Kings have suffered only two losses. First, Minnesota capitalized expertly on their limited opportunities (1-2), and then Colorado turned up the intensity (0-4). However, this hasn't dampened the overall positive outlook. The home team managed to surpass Edmonton in the Pacific Division standings, which is a crucial achievement. Barring any extraordinary events, they are set to face the Oilers in the first round. This will mark the fourth consecutive playoff matchup between these clubs at this stage, and so far, the Californians have yet to achieve ultimate success.
Match Results: Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks Team Overview
The Sharks have long been out of the running for the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team is firmly anchored at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but they remain optimistic about the future. They already have a key center in Macklin Celebrini, and come summer, management will be picking early in the draft once again, likely adding another young star to the roster. Meanwhile, the team occasionally manages to surprise. For the first time in a while, they've secured back-to-back wins. First, they toppled Boston with a 3-1 victory, and then they clinched two points against Toronto in a 6-5 shootout thriller.
Match Results: San Jose Sharks
📌 Projected Lineups
Los Angeles: Rittich - Anderson, Doughty - Kuzmenko, Kopitar, Kempe
San Jose: Georgiev - Mukhamadullin, Ferraro - Smith, Celebrini, Eklund
🥅 Goaltenders
Los Angeles goaltender David Rittich has been seeing more ice time lately. It seems the coaching staff is intentionally giving their number one, Darcy Kuemper, some rest. However, the Czech hasn't exactly been a model of reliability. In his last game against Colorado, he managed to save only 84.6% of the shots he faced.
San Jose's goalie Alexander Georgiev has faced numerous challenges this season. The Russian struggled at the start of the campaign with Colorado and had to change teams. In San Jose, there's no pressure on him to deliver consistent saves and victories. Without that burden, he's gradually improved his performance. He particularly impressed in the matchup against Boston, where he stopped 22 out of 23 shots from the Bruins.
Editorial Prediction
The Kings cannot afford to drop points right now. The battle with the Oilers for the second spot in the division is heating up, and having home-ice advantage could be the decisive factor in the playoffs. Meanwhile, San Jose's players lack any tournament motivation, making it unlikely for them to pull off a sporting miracle for the third time in a row. Our best bet for this matchup is a Los Angeles win in regulation.
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Betting Tips: Los Angeles Kings - San Jose Sharks
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