At first glance, this game tonight seemed to come at the perfect time for the Los Angeles Kings. Sitting second in the Pacific Division standings and off to one of their best starts in seven years, the defending champions would provide that measuring stick from which to gauge this year's squad.

Even though Pittsburgh has been great on the road, they will be undermanned when they face the Kings tonight (they will be without Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar). So maybe the Kings won't get that chance to measure themselves against the defending champions, but they will get the chance to measure themselves against a great Penguins' team that will still showcase Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury.