Senators Limp Into LA as Kings Look to Feast on Eastern Roadkill

The Ottawa Senators roll into Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night, and let's be honest—this road trip isn't going well. The Sens are still searching for their identity in late October, struggling to find consistency on both ends of the ice. Meanwhile, the Kings are quietly building something dangerous at home, where they've turned their barn into a fortress early this season.

LA's structured defensive system under Todd McLellan continues to suffocate opponents, and with Anze Kopitar still pulling strings and Phillip Danault winning matchups in the middle, the Kings control games through possession and patience. Ottawa's young guns—Stutzle, Tkachuk, Norris—have offensive firepower, but they're prone to defensive breakdowns that a disciplined team like Los Angeles will absolutely exploit.

The goaltending matchup tilts heavily toward the Kings if Talbot gets the nod. He's been rock-solid at home, and Ottawa's netminding situation remains a question mark on back-to-back road games. The Senators need to generate speed through the neutral zone and create chaos in front, but the Kings thrive on eliminating chaos.

This feels like a grind-it-out Kings victory. Ottawa's too inconsistent right now to trust on a West Coast swing, and LA knows how to take care of business against beatable opponents at home. Expect a low-event, defensively sound Kings win.