Kings Seek First Home Win Against Senators as Power Play Struggles Continue

Los Angeles will open a seven-game homestand on Thursday night as the Kings host the Ottawa Senators at Crypto.com Arena, looking for their first home victory of the 2026-27 season. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper is slated to start after a 3-0-0 road trip, bringing a lifetime record of 8-3-2 against Ottawa.

The Kings have been unable to generate offense on the power play, ranking near the bottom of the league in both power-play efficiency and penalty-kill success. Forward Adrian Kempe said, "We’ve got to be better in that area, the power play just hasn’t been good enough. We had one in New York, I was hoping that was going to build some confidence, but it’s got to be better. Better communicating, passes, just everything."

Senators forward Scott Laughton added, "We’ve let entries come in too easily and gave them time and space. We need to be better to give ourselves a chance to win and you can’t let up a PK goal every game."

Both clubs are dealing with injuries. The Kings expect defenseman Cody Ceci and forward Jared Wright to be scratches, while forward Kevin Fiala and winger Mats Zuccarello remain week-to-week. Coach Peter Laviolette noted that Fiala appeared comfortable during the morning skate.

Ottawa enters the game without goaltender Linus Ullmark and will rely on defenseman Thomas Chabot, according to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Former Kings forward Warren Foegele is also out after leaving a recent game with an injury.

The matchup highlights each team’s special-team challenges, with the Kings ranked 26th on the power play and 32nd on the penalty kill, and the Senators near the bottom of the league in both categories. Both coaches emphasized the need for tighter defensive play and more effective power-play execution as the season progresses.