The Los Angeles Kings entered Tuesday night aiming to halt a four-game skid and stay within reach of the Western Conference wild-card race.
After an explosive first period, the Kings held on for a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers that kept them on the verge of the wild-card picture with 53 points — the same tally as that of the second wild-card holder, the San Jose Sharks, and the Anaheim Ducks — despite losing veteran goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
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Kuemper exited the game with 39 seconds left in the opening period after contact in the crease with Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski. Though the collision didn’t appear serious, Kuemper immediately motioned for play to stop and skated off under his own power.
The Kings ruled out the 35-year-old veteran for the remainder of the game with an upper-body injury. Backup Anton Forsberg entered and recorded 27 saves on 28 shots to earn the win.
Kuemper had returned to action on Jan. 1 following another upper-body issue suffered in mid-December. Asked whether this latest issue was related to the previous incident, Kings head coach Jim Hiller offered some clarity.
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“From what I’m gathering, I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” Hiller said. “I don’t know enough for sure, so I really shouldn’t comment, but I did have a chance to speak to him quickly, and it seemed like he was doing OK from that perspective.”
Hiller couldn’t confirm the specific nature of the injury but noted that more information would be available as soon as Wednesday.
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy KuemperKiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
(Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)
“I don’t have too much to share,” Hiller said. “We’ll probably know a little bit more tomorrow.”
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Kuemper has appeared in 31 games this season and was recently named to Team Canada’s Olympic roster, along with teammate Drew Doughty. In those appearances, Kuemper has posted a 2.48 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
If Kuemper misses further time, the Kings will have to rely on Forsberg and potentially Pheonix Copley, who has spent time in the AHL.
Los Angeles (20-16-13) will begin a six-game road trip Saturday, starting with a matchup against the St. Louis Blues at 8 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.