Another preseason win, Kuemper and Kopitar make first appearances, young players on both sides of the ice stand out

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Kings took the second of four preseason matchups against the Anaheim Ducks, this time on the Duck’s home ice of the Honda Center, 2-0 on Wednesday night. It was a lineup filled with Kings young and experienced for the third game of the preseason. While the veterans got their reps in, it was the young Kings that were looking to impress and secure a spot in Los Angeles rather than Ontario, and impress they did. 

Chromiak and Malott Stand Out 

Left wing Jeff Malott has played in all three preseason games, two of them on back-to-back days, and he’s made the most of his opportunities. He scored his second goal of the preseason in Wednesday’s game across close to 13 minutes on the ice. 

Malott had a taste of Los Angeles hockey last season when the Kings signed him as a free agent out of Cornell University and he was with the team through the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. Now, as he is looking for an extended spot on the starting roster, he’s made a strength adjustment his priority to help propel him against other NHL talent. 

Martin Chromiak puts the Kings on the board late in the first period, burying the puck in the top right corner of the net.

Kings ahead 1-0 after the first.@SportingTrib

— jack (@Jackmagic00) September 25, 2025

“One of the big focuses for the guys fighting for that fourth line role was physicality, being hard to play against,” Malott said. “Try to get a little bigger. Try to get a little stronger. Be a little harder to handle down there.”

Right wing Martin Chromiak was the other young King to stamp his name into Wednesday night’s box score with his first goal of the preseason. Cromiak put the Kings on the board in the first period with a shot that found the corner of the net over Ducks goalie Lukáš Dostál’s shoulder off an assist by Malott.

“Chromie’s fast, he flies. So, any time you can catch him with a lot of steam there, you try your best [to catch him],” Malott said.

Darcy Kuemper on the Ice 

Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper made his preseason debut on Wednesday night. While the veteran backstop didn’t see much work from the Ducks on account of the defensive efforts from his back line, particularly young players like Jared Woolley and Brandt Clarke, Kuemper also didn’t let a single shot past him in the Kings’ first shutout of the preseason. 

Kuemper was one of the chief veterans on the ice in Wednesday’s mixed squad, and what he’s seen from the play between the Kings of present and potentially future, he’s liked.

“It’s awesome to see them buying into playing how we play. They’re working so hard out there,” Kuemper said. “It’s always fun remembering your first time getting in preseason action… it’s kind of fun seeing how exciting it is for those and guys and it’s nice to see them playing so well.”

Young Defensemen Coming Into Their Own

The Ducks were held to 14 shots, a major credit to the stifling effect that the combination of the King’s already elite-established defense mixed in with the younger players. But, one addition that markedly made Kuemper’s job easier was 22-year-old defenseman Brandt Clarke. Drafted eighth overall by the Kings back in 2021, he has risen up the ranks of the core Los Angeles defense season by season.

Darwin Walker – The Sporting Tribune

Anaheim Ducks LW #17 Alex Killorn and Los Angeles Kings D #92 Brandt Clarke battle for position during an NHL game, September 24, 2025 in Anaheim, CA.

He was putting everything on the line Wednesday night, throwing himself in front of pucks for several key blocks. Head coach Jim Hiller has been glad to see the progress Clarke has made across the three seasons he’s seen him develop.

“One of the great things about coaching is winning. But, the other one is to see a guy like Brandt , with all that talent and and promise and emotion come in and see him in 12 months to see where he is today,” Hiller said. “It’s really, really cool to see [him] mature, confidence and understanding the game at a high level.”

Kopitar Getting Active

The other notable veteran that took the ice for the first time in the 2025-26 was Kings center and captain Anže Kopitar, who announced last week that this season will be his last. 

Darwin Walker – The Sporting Tribune

Los Angeles Kings C #11 Anze Kopitar prepares for a faceoff during an NHL game against the Anaheim Ducks, September 24, 2025 in Anaheim, CA.

Even in Year 20, Kopitar hasn’t slowed down. He played over 17 minutes on the ice and got mixed up in 11 face-offs, second-most on the team behind center Quinton Byfield. 

It’s the first in a long line of lasts for Kopitar in his farewell season, and if Wednesday’s game was any indication, he won’t be letting off the gas until the whole thing’s over.