Kings Host Penguins as Pittsburgh Opens California Trip on Losing Streak
The Los Angeles Kings host the Pittsburgh Penguins as Pittsburgh begins a three-game California road trip on a four-game losing streak. Kings forward Alex Turcotte is expected to return, while Artemi Panarin enters the matchup after a four-assist performance against San Jose.
The Los Angeles Kings host the Pittsburgh Penguins in Los Angeles on November 7, 2026, with Pittsburgh trying to end a four-game losing streak as it opens a three-game California road trip.
The Kings entered the matchup with a 2-1-0 record on their current homestand. Forward Alex Turcotte was expected to return to the lineup, while Artemi Panarin came in after assisting on four goals in a seven-goal win over San Jose.
Panarin’s performance against the Sharks was his first four-point game as a King and his first four-point outing of any kind since November 2025, when he recorded a four-point game and a four-assist game with New York.
He has collected multiple points in every Kings victory this season, according to the team preview. On the recent road trip, he had three points against Washington, scored twice on Long Island and recorded two points at Madison Square Garden. He also had two points in a win over Ottawa last week.
“He’s one of the most skilled guys I’ve ever played with,” Kings forward Adrian Kempe said. “Sometimes, you know what you’re getting, sometimes you don’t really know what’s happening but he somehow gets a puck to you.”
Kempe has scored nine goals in his last eight games against Pittsburgh. The preview also noted that Corey Perry had a multi-point game against the Penguins last season, while Trevor Moore recorded two assists across two games.
Goaltender Darcy Kuemper was expected to start for Los Angeles after a strong performance on Wednesday. He has a career record of 5-4-2 against Pittsburgh, with a .912 save percentage and a 2.96 goals-against average.
Turcotte was set to take Martin Chromiak’s place. Samuel Helenius and defenseman Cody Ceci were also projected to sit as healthy scratches. Forwards Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello remained out, though both skated that morning; Fiala was described as moving closer to a return.
Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin returned against Boston after missing a game against Vegas. The 40-year-old leads the Penguins with six goals this season. Defenseman Erik Karlsson leads Pittsburgh in overall scoring, with 13 assists and 16 points, each tied for ninth among NHL defensemen.
The matchup was the halfway point of the Kings’ homestand, while Pittsburgh began a three-game swing through California.
