Anton Forsberg will start in goal for the Los Angeles Kings against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, giving Los Angeles its clearest change as it opens the final home game before a five-game road trip. The Kings are also expected to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen, a shift that signals a new look behind the netminder.
The matchup matters now because the Kings have scored only three goals in their last three games, and they are trying to find a better rhythm without losing sight of a Bruins team that has won six of its first eight games. Forsberg’s assignment comes with real history attached: he has six career appearances against Boston and is 4-1-1 in those games with a.935 save percentage and a 2.16 goals-against average.
That recent scoring dip helps explain why the Kings are changing the shape of the lineup rather than just shuffling one line. Their top unit is still being adjusted, with Alex Laferriere projected to skate with Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe, and the club needs more than one line to carry the offense. Last season, Los Angeles managed only two total goals against Boston in a pair of 2-1 overtime defeats, and seven of the last 11 meetings between the clubs have gone beyond regulation.
The Bruins bring their own form into the building after beating Anaheim 4-2 yesterday behind Michael DiPietro, and Jeremy Swayman is expected to start against the Kings. He has been just as steady in this matchup, with a 6-1-0 career record against Los Angeles, a.931 save percentage and a 1.97 goals-against average. Boston’s attack has also been spread around, with Fraser Minten leading the club with four goals in eight games and David Pastrnak pacing it with 10 points.
So the first question is not whether the Kings can lean on Forsberg; it is whether a changed lineup can produce more than the scraps they have gotten lately. If Los Angeles gets the puck moving better at even strength, it can make a home crowd matter before the long trip begins. Puck drop is set for 6 PM, and this one should tell whether the new setup is enough to wake the offense.
