Kings Visit Ball Arena as Both Teams Open 2026-27 Slate

The Los Angeles Kings head to Denver to take on the Colorado Avalanche in what amounts to a blank-slate opener for both clubs — records zeroed out, everything still to prove. Tonight at Ball Arena, the goaltending matchup is the sharpest storyline on the board.

There's something clarifying about a season opener. No baggage from last night's loss, no momentum to protect — just two teams stepping onto the ice at 0-0-0 and finding out quickly what they're made of. The Kings make the trip to Ball Arena for a 10:00 PM ET puck drop, with TNT and truTV carrying the action nationally. Colorado gets home ice to start, and in a game this early in the calendar, that crowd energy at altitude is a real factor even if it doesn't show up in any box score.

The most concrete thing we can point to tonight is who's projected between the pipes. Darcy Kuemper is expected to start for Los Angeles — a name that carries its own narrative weight given his history in Denver, though tonight he's on the other side of it. Mackenzie Blackwood is set to get the call for Colorado. Goaltending in an opener is always a bit of a read-the-tea-leaves situation; neither netminder has regular-season game reps under their belt yet this year, so how sharp they look in the first period will tell you a lot about how the rest of the night unfolds. A slow start from either goalie in a building as loud as Ball Arena can snowball fast.

As for a lean on the outcome — there isn't one to offer tonight. Our model doesn't have a validated read on this game, and frankly, manufacturing conviction on a season opener with no current-season data would be doing you a disservice. What I'd watch instead: which team comes out with more urgency in the first ten minutes, and whether Kuemper or Blackwood looks dialed in early. Openers have a way of rewarding the team that treats it like a playoff game from the drop of the puck. Check back for live updates as the game progresses.