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NHL · October 6, 2026

Florida Panthers vs Los Angeles Kings Final — October 6, 2026

Florida Panthers

1-0-2

Goalie Jacob Markstrom Likely

FINAL

Los Angeles Kings

0-1-1

Goalie Darcy Kuemper Likely

Tuesday, October 6 · 10:40 PM ET

FLAStarting goaliesLA

This season

Starts

.917

Sv%

.724

.714

HDSv%

.600

+1.3

GSAx

−5.3

Last season

Starts

.883

Sv%

.891

.828

HDSv%

.804

−17.1

GSAx

−8.5

FLAOffenseFull 2025-26 regular season (last season)LA

18th3.06

GF/G

2.7429th

18th7.11

PP GF/60

6.0828th

FLADefenseLA

28th3.37

GA/G

3.0112th

10th7.07

PK GA/60

9.5830th

FLATeamLA

25th51.2%

Pts%

54.9%20th

16th50.2%

xGF%

52.2%7th

9th51.7%

CF%

52.2%8th

20th48.3%

HDCF%

52.7%12th

FLA5-on-5LA

15th2.56

xGF/60

2.4619th

17th2.54

xGA/60

2.263rd

15th9.6%

Sh%

8.4%27th

28th89.3%

Sv%

91.7%3rd

20th114.6

CF/60 (both)

117.29th

27th−0.21

GAx/G

−0.2126th

28th−0.26

GSAx/G

−0.0518th

19th10.2%

Sh%

9.2%30th

27th88.5%

Sv%

89.9%13th

27th46.3%

xGF% (L20)

54.7%5th

FLASpecial teamsLA

8th8.22

PP xG/60

7.3518th

5th83.7

PP FF/60

80.212th

3rd5.3

PP min/G

4.525th

5th6.54

PK xGA/60

7.3912th

31st5.4

PK min/G

4.512th

FLARecent formLA

W@ CAR 1-0OTL@ SJS 3-4OTL@ ANA 2-3

Resultsoldest to newest

L@ COL 4-8OTL@ SJS 4-5

Game by game

1-0-2

Record

0-1-1

Top third of the leagueMiddle thirdBottom thirdBar = league rank (full = 1st)

Injuries & restkey injuries · rest and travel

FLARest & travelLA

2 days

Days of rest

3 days

28 mi45 km

Travel to the game

Home

FLAKey injuriesLA

Aleksander Barkov CIRAaron Ekblad DDay-to-day

Players out or limited

Kevin Fiala LWIR

About these numbers

Goalie status from the G&W goalie tracker (Confirmed, Expected, Likely or Not confirmed); teams confirm starters close to puck drop. Season lines come from the NHL Lab goalie tables. GSAx = goals saved above expected (Gridiron & Wine expected goals). HD Sv% = save rate on high-danger shots.

Full 2025-26 regular season (last season), captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (32 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.

2025-26 regular season, public NHL Lab tables; ranks out of 32 teams. Expected goals are Gridiron & Wine's own expected-goals numbers.

2025-26 regular season. Rates are per 60 minutes of power-play or penalty-kill time.

Regular-season results this season, oldest to newest (OTL = overtime or shootout loss). Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Over–under uses the consensus closing total.

Distance is straight-line from each team's home arena; time-zone change is at game time. Rest counts days since each team's previous game.

Key players only. Injury report as of October 6, 9:40 a.m. ET.

The pre-game matchup

The Panthers (1-0-2) visited the Kings (0-1-1) on Tuesday, October 6 at 10:40 PM ET.

Last season (2025-26), the Panthers scored 3.06 goals per game (18th of 32) and allowed 3.37 (28th). The Kings scored 2.74 goals per game (29th of 32) and allowed 3.01 (12th). The Panthers earned 51.2% of available standings points (25th) and the Kings 54.9% (20th).

Expected-goals share (5-on-5), the share of 5-on-5 expected goals created: Panthers 50.2% (16th), Kings 52.2% (7th). Shot-attempt share (5-on-5), the share of all 5-on-5 shot attempts: Panthers 51.7% (9th), Kings 52.2% (8th). High-danger chance share, the share of 5-on-5 high-danger chances: Panthers 48.3% (20th), Kings 52.7% (12th). These are last season's full-season numbers because the new season's sample is still small; rosters change over the offseason.

The total closed 5.5, unchanged from the open. After removing the vig, the closing moneyline (Panthers -115, Kings -103) prices the Panthers at 51% and the Kings at 49%.

Written from the numbers available before kickoff.

Result

Final score and result vs the closing line

Florida Panthers 2, Los Angeles Kings 1

Florida Panthers won by 1.

Against the closing spread (Los Angeles Kings +1.5): Los Angeles Kings covered.
Combined score 3 vs the closing total of 5.5: Under.
Florida Panthers closed at -115 on the moneyline (a 51% no-vig market-implied chance).

Actual result

Final

Florida Panthers 2
Los Angeles Kings 1

Decided

In regulation

Florida Panthers won

Lead changes

Before the game: market and G&W

51%Market at the close49%

Florida PanthersLos Angeles Kings

53%Market at the open47%

From open to close the market moved 1 point toward Los Angeles Kings.

The G&W pregame win probability for this game is available to Analytics members. See plans

Market numbers are the consensus moneyline with the bookmaker margin removed.

Win probability

Each team's chance of winning through the game, starting from the market's closing price (Florida Panthers 51%, Los Angeles Kings 49%) and moving with every goal, penalty and the clock until the final.

Biggest swings

1st 19:00 — Los Angeles Kings goal (0-1)Los Angeles Kings 49% → 67% (+18 pts)
2nd 3:49 — Florida Panthers goal (1-1)Florida Panthers 30% → 51% (+21 pts)
3rd 11:20 — Florida Panthers goal (2-1)Florida Panthers 51% → 84% (+34 pts)

Florida Panthers won after falling as low as 25% (2nd 1:12).

Analytics members also see this chart starting from the G&W pregame win probability. See plans

Chance Quality Result

66%FLA

Share of G&W replays won

34%LAK

3.0

Expected goals

1.9

Final score

Based on the quality of chances each team created, Florida Panthers won 66% of G&W replays (Los Angeles Kings 34%). The result went to the side that created the better chances.

The Chance Quality Result describes the chances each team created. It is not the official result and never changes it or any record. Expected goals count regulation chances with both goalies in net; empty-net goals are not included. Season xG tables count every game state, empty nets included, so their totals differ.

Game DNA

The Chance Quality Result above favoured Florida Panthers. Here is where that came from.

Panthers	Goals	Kings
1.3	5-on-5 chancesexpected goals	0.9
1.6	Power-play chancesexpected goals	0.5
0.1	Other situations4-on-4, 3-on-3, short-handed	0.5
3.0	Chance Quality Result chancesthe three rows above, as in the result	1.9
0.0	Overtime and pulled-goalie chancesnot part of the Chance Quality Result	0.1
0.4	Second chancesrebounds and flurries, part of the above	0.1
-1.0	Finishinggoals vs expected on own shots	-0.9
+0.9	Goaltendingsaves vs expected · Jacob Markstrom 19/20 · Darcy Kuemper 26/28	+1.0

Bar left: Panthers gainedBar right: Kings gained

How the margin was built, from Florida Panthers's side:

Chances +1.0Finishing & goaltending -0.0Florida Panthers by 1

The first three rows add up to the Chance Quality Result's expected goals. Overtime chances and chances with a goalie pulled are listed on their own, and empty-net goals are not in expected goals. A team's finishing and the other team's goaltending are the same goals seen from each end.

The official play, graded

The official play on this game, at the price it was sent, graded against the final score.

Jessica's HandicapLos Angeles Kings ML +1131.00uLOSS -1.00u

Every official play is logged and graded, wins and losses alike. Full track record.

Line review

Florida Panthers closed as the market favourite at 51% and won.

The line moved toward Los Angeles Kings before puck drop, and they lost.

How the G&W pregame number compared with the close, and whether the line moved toward it, is available to Analytics members. See plans

Market

Closing line and line movement

Puck lineno move

OpenKings +1.5 (-239)
Panthers -1.5 (+192)

CloseKings +1.5 (-283)
Panthers -1.5 (+208)

Totalno move

Open5.5 (o -132 / u +110)

Close5.5 (o -130 / u +105)

Moneyline

OpenPanthers -122 53%
Kings +102 47%

ClosePanthers -115 51%
Kings -103 49%

Consensus of US sportsbooks. Open = first line after both teams' previous games; Close = consensus at kickoff. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.

Members

G&W Line

G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics

Projected score

Spread

Total

Win %

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Matchup

Head-to-head

The teams have met 14 times since 2018-19: the Panthers won 7 and the Kings 7.

Date	Score	Line	Total
Dec 17, 2025	Kings 2, Panthers 3 Panthers won	Panthers -148 favorite won	5.5 under
Nov 6, 2025	Panthers 5, Kings 2 Panthers won	Kings -114 underdog won	5.5 over
Jan 29, 2025	Kings 0, Panthers 3 Panthers won	Panthers -155 favorite won	5.5 under
Jan 22, 2025	Panthers 1, Kings 2 Kings won	Kings -125 favorite won	5.5 under
Jan 11, 2024	Kings 2, Panthers 3 OT Panthers won	Panthers -140 favorite won	6 under

Regular-season meetings since 2018-19, most recent first. Line = consensus closing moneyline favorite and total where line history is available.

Teams