Kings open seven-game homestand seeking first win against Senators

The Sacramento Kings begin a seven-game homestand on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena, hosting the Ottawa Senators in a search for their first home victory of the season.

The team is 0-3-0 on home ice, making them the only winless squad in the NHL on home ice. Their offensive output at Crypto.com Arena has lagged far behind the rest of the league. The Kings have scored nine fewer goals at home than the Florida Panthers, the next lowest-scoring team in that venue. They also average less than half the goals per game produced by the Philadelphia Flyers, who currently rank 31st in that category.

Recent road performance offered some respite. The Kings won consecutive games in Washington and on Long Island before dropping a decision in New Jersey. They secured their most decisive win of the season at Madison Square Garden, a result that was followed by a 2-1 loss in Chicago.

Quinton Byfield, who was ejected during the Chicago game, noted the team's record of 3-2 in recent play. "It sucks not winning the last game," Byfield told reporters. "From our start, going 3-2 is still a little bit of a positive for us."

Coach Peter Laviolette has identified a specific issue with the team's late-game execution. Six of the Kings' 11 games this season have been one-goal results or decided by one score plus an empty-netter. The team has won only once in those scenarios.

"We've been here too many times in the third period, 1-1, with a chance to win a game, and we didn't get it done," Laviolette said. "It's on us; we've got to get that done. Our record could be a lot different if we were closing out third periods."

The roster composition presents additional challenges. General Manager Ken Holland acquired Artemi Panarin in February. While Panarin has produced, his goal-to-assist ratio has shifted, with three more goals than assists, suggesting a reliance on his own finishing rather than teammate support. Mats Zuccarello, another recent acquisition, has spent more time on injured reserve than he has recorded points, with one point and two stints on the list. Kevin Fiala remains sidelined with an indefinite recovery timeline following a broken leg sustained at the Olympics.

Thursday's matchup against Ottawa raises questions about previous personnel decisions. Former Kings defenseman Jordan Spence returns to the team. Spence leads Ottawa defensemen in 5-on-5 expected-goals percentage and ranks second in ice time for a club that outperformed Sacramento in the previous two seasons. He was traded to Ottawa in 2025 for draft picks after being relegated to a depth role.

Cody Ceci, acquired to replace Spence at a higher cost, has been a healthy scratch in recent games. The Kings went 3-1-0 in those games, while they have gone winless in seven opportunities when Ceci is active. Forward Tim Stützle, whom Kings assistant coach Marco Sturm developed in Germany, leads Ottawa in scoring with 16 points this season. Byfield, selected in the 2020 draft instead of Stützle, has two points this season.

The Senators hold an 8-5-0 record with 16 points. The Kings are 3-6-2 with 8 points. The game will be available on ABTV.