Kings Seek First Win Against Capitals on Five Game Road Trip

The Los Angeles Kings began a five-game road trip against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, October 20, seeking their first victory of the 2026-27 NHL season after six games without a win. The matchup also offered Los Angeles an opportunity to improve its scoring and defensive performance while facing a Washington team with a 5-3 record.

According to NHL.com, Los Angeles entered the game at 0-4-2, with 12 goals scored and six consecutive defeats. The Kings had managed only one goal in each of their previous four games, leaving them 31st in league scoring at 2.00 goals per game and 30th in goals allowed at 4.17 per game.

Their special teams also struggled, with a power-play success rate of 14.3 percent ranking 26th and a penalty-kill rate of 61.9 percent ranking 31st, according to NHL.com. Despite those numbers, the Kings averaged 29.8 shots on goal per game, ranking eighth in the league, but needed to convert more of their offensive opportunities.

Captain Drew Doughty viewed the road trip as an opportunity for the team to strengthen its chemistry and regain confidence.

“We’re on the road. I think this is a good thing for us,” said Drew Doughty, the Kings captain. “Just the boys getting together, going for dinner, it's a good time for us to gel even more than we already do. I know that once we get one (win), we're going to start rolling.”

Los Angeles had suffered a 4-1 home defeat to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Alex Laferriere scored just 31 seconds into that game, but the Kings could not maintain their advantage as Boston scored four unanswered goals to secure the victory.

Doughty also identified the team's approach during close games as an area requiring improvement.

“It's just about the only thing that's disappointing is maybe a little bit of a lack of desperation in our last game,” said Doughty.

The defenseman said Los Angeles needed to take greater initiative when games remained close late, rather than waiting for opponents to dictate the outcome.

“It's almost like instead of just believing and knowing that we're going to make it happen going into a third period tied, I think we're waiting around to see what's going to happen, if that makes any sense,” said Doughty. “We're not going in, you know, grabbing it … and taking it. That's what we're lacking right now. And I think that once we get our first win, hopefully here against Washington, we'll roll. We'll get that confidence.”

Head coach Peter Laviolette acknowledged that his team had generated promising opportunities against several opponents but had struggled to finish them. The Kings' early schedule included games against Colorado, Florida, Vegas, Edmonton and Boston.

“I think we've had some,” said Peter Laviolette, the Kings coach. “We're pushing for more. Every game has been a little bit different with regard to that. I thought we had some really good chances against Edmonton (a 4-1 loss on Oct. 13), had good chances in the first period against Boston and San Jose (a 5-4 overtime loss Oct. 3).

We had just a ton of chances early on. I think we hit the post in the first five games, maybe 10 times.”

Laviolette said the team needed to continue creating opportunities and find ways to finish its offensive sequences. Mats Zuccarello's expected return was another potential boost, although the coach indicated that his playing time would need monitoring.

“Everything is trending that way,” said Laviolette. “I think it helps slot things a little bit, but that being said, I think you have to watch his minutes and where he goes. He’s been out for a bit for us, but he’s definitely a guy that can come in and help with regard to the offensive part of the game.”

Zuccarello practiced with Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore before the game after missing three contests with an undisclosed injury. His return would help restore balance to the forward lines, according to lakingsinsider.com, while the team was also managing injuries to Kevin Fiala and Alex Turcotte.

Forward Erik Haula highlighted Zuccarello's offensive awareness and ability to create scoring opportunities for teammates.

“He’s one of those guys who just finds a way onto the scoresheet,” said Erik Haula, a Kings forward. “He creates offense. His mind for the game is elite. Usually, guys like that make other people better around him.

So, hopefully he’ll come in and kind of spark the offense a little bit, or at least the line that he’s playing on. For sure we’ve missed him.”

Darcy Kuemper was expected to start in goal for Los Angeles against his former team, while Washington was likely to use Logan Thompson. According to the New York Times' game preview, Thompson had a 2.7 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage, compared with Kuemper's .847 save percentage through the available season statistics.

Washington entered the matchup after a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils, extending its strong start to the season. The Capitals were also playing during a five-game homestand.

The game carried additional significance for Washington captain Alexander Ovechkin, who had announced that the 2026-27 campaign would be his final NHL season. According to lakingsinsider.com, Ovechkin had become the first player in NHL history to score 900 regular-season goals and recorded three points, including one goal and two assists, across two meetings with Los Angeles the previous season.

The Kings' road schedule continued against the New York Islanders on October 22, followed by the New Jersey Devils on October 24, the New York Rangers on October 26 and the Chicago Blackhawks on October 27, according to NHL.com.