{"id":442087,"date":"2026-02-02T21:46:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/442087\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T21:46:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:46:13","slug":"los-angeles-kings-week-ahead-schedule-storylines-doughtys-milestone-kopitars-return-and-more-the-hockey-writers-los-angeles-kings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/442087\/","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Kings Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines – Doughty’s Milestone, Kopitar’s Return and More – The Hockey Writers – Los Angeles Kings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here are the key storylines for the Los Angeles Kings and their upcoming schedule for the week of Feb. 2\u20139, 2026.<\/p>\n

The Final Push Before the Olympic Break <\/p>\n

This is a critical week for the Kings to get some points before the NHL pause for the 2026 Winter Olympics beginning Feb. 6. The Kings have just two games left before this massive break, and both are against direct Pacific Division rivals Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights. How they finish this week will determine their mental and statistical standing for the next two weeks of downtime.<\/p>\n

Anze Kopitar\u2019s Return to the Lineup <\/p>\n

Captain Anze Kopitar recently returned to action after missing 11 games<\/a> with a lower-body injury. His presence is vital for a team fighting for a Wild Card spot. Although the Kings managed to stay afloat without him, reintegrating their top center and stabilizing the line combinations (specifically the Adrian Kempe-Corey Perry-Alex Laferriere unit) is a top priority for head coach Jim Hiller.<\/p>\n

Tight Pacific Division Race <\/p>\n

The Kings are currently embroiled in a fierce battle for playoff positioning. Sitting with 60 points<\/a>, they are neck-and-neck with the Kraken and Ducks while chasing the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers. The upcoming game against Seattle on Wednesday is essentially a \u201cfour-point game\u201d\u2014a regulation win is crucial to keep pace.<\/p>\n

Drew Doughty\u2019s 700-Point Milestone <\/p>\n

Defenseman Drew Doughty recently achieved a historic franchise milestone, becoming the first defenseman in LA Kings history to record 700 career points<\/a>. He (along with goaltender Darcy Kuemper) will be heading to represent Team Canada at the Olympics immediately following this week\u2019s action.<\/p>\n

The \u201cOvertime Kings\u201d <\/p>\n

The team has developed a trend of playing tight, low-scoring games that extend past regulation. They are coming off back-to-back overtime results (a win vs. the Philadelphia Flyers and a loss vs. the Carolina Hurricanes). While collecting points is positive, failing to close out games in regulation could hurt them in the tie-breaker standings (Regulation Wins) down the stretch.<\/p>\n

Kings Schedule Feb 2 \u2013 9<\/p>\n

DateDayTime (PT)OpponentVenueBroadcast\/NotesFeb 4Wed7:00 PMvs. Seattle KrakenCrypto.com ArenaCritical Division MatchupFeb 5Thu7:00 PM@ Vegas Golden KnightsT-Mobile ArenaBack-to-back; Last game pre-breakFeb 6Fri\u2014No Game\u2014Olympic Break Begins<\/p>\n

AI tools were used to support the creation or distribution of this content, however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of The Hockey Writers editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

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