This is the second game of the west coast road trip for the Red Wings. They were defeated 5-3 by the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.
Much like the game on Monday, the Red Wings opponent finds themselves on the fringe of making the playoffs. The Kings are in third place with 82 points in the Pacific Division which would see them through to the playoffs. However, they are trailed by the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks who both have 80 points.
A game like this is a must-win for the Kings. They cannot afford to drop points against a team that is on a seven-game losing streak and out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.