Brandt Clarke practiced Friday and was good to go for the Kings against Buffalo, easing the concern that followed his exit from Thursday's 6-5 overtime win over Ottawa with an upper-body injury. He was back on the ice on game day and expected to be available for the afternoon matinee.
That matters now because the Kings are in the middle of a seven-game homestand and facing Buffalo without a morning skate to sort out the final details. Peter Laviolette said he was not expecting any lineup changes unless there was a health-related issue, and Clarke's status was the main one to watch after Thursday night.
The timing gives the Kings a useful answer on defense before puck drop, even if one question remains open in a different part of the lineup. Darcy Kuemper had the day off Thursday and was expected to be available, but the club had not settled on a starting goaltender even as Clarke was cleared.
Buffalo arrives having gone 2-0-1 on its road trip and after beating San Jose and Anaheim, with Tage Thompson piling up a hat trick and five points in Buffalo's win at Anaheim. The Kings, meanwhile, got scoring from Quinton Byfield, Erik Haula, Trevor Moore and Joel Armia in Thursday's victory, a burst Laviolette said he wanted to see more often when he said, “We need that secondary scoring.”
So the immediate injury worry has passed for Clarke, and the Kings head into Sabres Vs Kings with their defense intact for now. The bigger remaining unknown is whether the home team will settle on Kuemper or choose another option before the afternoon begins.
