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Los Angeles Kings vs Buffalo Sabres

Regular season · Sunday, December 20, 2026 · KeyBank Center

Los Angeles KingsLos AngelesKingsAway

vs

Buffalo SabresBuffaloSabresHome

ABTV · SN+ · MSG-B

Game preview

The Los Angeles Kings visit the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Sunday, December 20, 2026, with puck drop at 6:00 PM ET. The game is on ABTV , SN+ and MSG-B.

This is the second of 2 meetings between the teams this season.

Rest and travel

Kings

Game 4 of a road trip: Detroit, Pittsburgh and Columbus, now Buffalo.

  1. 102026-12-10: no game
  2. 112026-12-11: at SJS
  3. 122026-12-12: vs VAN, second of a back-to-backB2B
  4. 132026-12-13: no game
  5. 142026-12-14: no game
  6. 152026-12-15: at DET
  7. 162026-12-16: no game
  8. 172026-12-17: at PIT
  9. 182026-12-18: no game
  10. 192026-12-19: at CBJ
  11. 202026-12-20: at BUF, second of a back-to-backB2B
rest since last game
0 days
rest since last game
since last game
~294 mi
since last game
on this road trip
~2,643 mi
on this road trip
body clock vs home
+3 h
body clock vs home

Sabres

Another game at home.

  1. 102026-12-10: vs EDM
  2. 112026-12-11: no game
  3. 122026-12-12: vs ANA
  4. 132026-12-13: no game
  5. 142026-12-14: at OTT
  6. 152026-12-15: vs CGY, second of a back-to-backB2B
  7. 162026-12-16: no game
  8. 172026-12-17: no game
  9. 182026-12-18: vs MTL
  10. 192026-12-19: no game
  11. 202026-12-20: vs LAK
rest since last game
1 day
rest since last game
since last game
~0 mi
since last game
road trip
–
road trip
body clock vs home
Home time
body clock vs home
Home game Road game This gameB2B = second night of a back-to-back. Distances are approximate.

Lines from last game

Los Angeles KingsKingsTue, Oct 13 vs EDM
  1. L1Panarin#10Kempe#9Byfield#55
    13:26 together at 5v5
  2. L2NewMoore#12Laughton#21Armia#40
    9:16 together at 5v5
  3. L3NewHaula#56Perry#90Laferriere#14
    7:27 together at 5v5
  1. D1NewGustafsson#64Clarke#92
    13:55 together at 5v5
  2. D2NewDoughty#8Edmundson#6
    5:46 together at 5v5
  3. D3Ceci#5Anderson#44
    5:45 together at 5v5

Power play

  1. 1Panarin LKempe RByfield RLaferriere RClarke D3:25
  2. 2Haula LMoore LPerry RDoughty DGustafsson D1:31

Penalty kill

  1. 1Moore LLaughton CCeci DAnderson D0:52
  2. 2Haula LArmia RDoughty DEdmundson D0:35
Buffalo SabresSabresTue, Oct 13 at MTL
  1. L1Benson#6Ostlund#86Quinn#22
    10:23 together at 5v5
  2. L2McLeod#71Kulich#20Helenius#94
    7:12 together at 5v5
  3. L3Thompson#72Krebs#19Doan#91
    6:57 together at 5v5
  4. L4NewMalenstyn#29Norris#9Danforth#15
    6:26 together at 5v5
  1. D1NewSamuelsson#23Zellweger#8
    14:05 together at 5v5
  2. D2Power#25Metsa#73
    11:55 together at 5v5
  3. D3NewGilbert#44Crevier#46
    6:02 together at 5v5

Power play

  1. 1Benson LThompson COstlund CQuinn RPower D3:35

Penalty kill

  1. 1Malenstyn LDanforth RSamuelsson DCrevier D0:55
  2. 2Malenstyn LSamuelsson DPower D0:49

Behind the bench

Each grey tick is one NHL team.

LAKBUF

Settled lines

Share of 5v5 time from the regular top four lines · 2026–27

LAK 61% (8th most shuffled)BUF 64% (12th most shuffled)
← Shuffles linesKeeps lines together →

Goalie pull, down one

Median time left in the 3rd when the goalie comes out, delayed penalties excluded · 2025–26 · under 10 pulls is a small sample

LAK 1:40 left (11th latest · 17 pulls)BUF 1:54 left (13th earliest · 9 pulls)
← Pulls latePulls early →

Average shift

All skaters, all strengths · 2025–26

LAK 49.6s (8th longest)BUF 46.8s (7th shortest)
← Short shiftsLong shifts →

Caught on long shifts

Share of 5v5 goals against with a skater 60s+ into his shift · 2025–26

LAK 33% (9th most often)BUF 28% (14th least often)
← Rarely caughtOften caught →

Season series