Rittich allowed four goals on 26 shots in Wednesday's 4-3 Game 5 loss to the Oilers.
Rittich and the Kings couldn't overcome Edmonton's three-goal second period in the series-deciding loss. The 31-year-old Rittich started the series' final two games, going 0-2-0 with an .872 save percentage after Cam Talbot struggled in the first three games. Rittich was solid in the regular season, going 13-6-3 with a .921 save percentage. Rittich could be looking for an opportunity to win a starting gig as a free agent this summer.
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Kings' David Rittich: Set to start Wednesday
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Rittich is slated to start on the road against Edmonton in Game 5 on Wednesday, Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 Edmonton reports.
Rittich is getting his second straight start after saving 12 of 13 shots in a 1-0 loss to Edmonton in Game 4 on Sunday. Edmonton has a potent offense, which ranked fourth in the 2023-24 campaign with 3.56 goals per game, so the Oilers will probably fire considerably more shots in the upcoming tilt. Rittich had a 13-6-3 record, 2.15 GAA and .921 save percentage in 24 regular-season contests.
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Kings' David Rittich: Loses low-scoring game
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Rittich stopped 12 of 13 shots in Sunday's 1-0 loss to the Oilers in Game 4.
Rittich got the start after Cam Talbot struggled in the first three games of the first-round series. Rittich was solid, though Game 4 was controlled by the Kings, who couldn't find a goal against Stuart Skinner. Rittich was 13-6-3 with a 2.15 GAA and a .921 save percentage over 24 regular-season appearances. The 31-year-old may get another chance to start in Game 5 on Wednesday, though the Kings are in must-win mode down 3-1 in the series.
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Kings' David Rittich: Starting Sunday
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Rittich will guard the home net Sunday in Game 4 against the Oilers, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.
The Kings will turn to Rittich in net for Game 4 after Cam Talbot struggled to an .861 save percentage through the first three games in the series. While Rittich took a back seat to Talbot down the stretch, Rittich had a solid regular season, going 13-6-3 with a career-best .921 save percentage and 2.15 GAA.
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Kings' David Rittich: Wins again Saturday
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Rittich stopped 28 of 29 shots in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Ducks.
Rittich has won three of his last four starts, allowing a total of six goals in that span. The 31-year-old again carried a shutout into the third period, but Trevor Zegras' tally broke it up with 8:42 left in the contest. Rittich improved to 13-6-3 on the year with a 2.15 GAA and a .921 save percentage through 24 appearances. Cam Talbot is likely to get the starting nod versus one of his former teams Monday when the Kings host the Wild.
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Kings' David Rittich: Set to face Ducks
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Rittich was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider reports, indicating he will patrol the home crease Saturday against Anaheim.
Rittich made 15 saves in a 2-1 win over the Sharks on April 4 during his last outing. He has a 12-6-3 record this season with a 2.21 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 23 appearances. The Ducks rank 30th in the league this campaign with 2.48 goals per contest.
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Kings' David Rittich: Shutout bid spoiled late
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Rittich stopped 15 of 16 shots in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Sharks.
Rittich kept the Sharks off the board for over 58 minutes, but Klim Kostin spoiled the shutout bid with 1:52 left in the game. It was still a strong showing for Rittich, who has won three of his last five starts while allowing just nine goals in that span. The 31-year-old is up to 12-6-3 with a 2.21 GAA and a .919 save percentage over 23 appearances this season. Cam Talbot is still seeing most of the playing time for the Kings, and it's likely Rittich will be back on the bench for Saturday's home game versus the Canucks.
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Kings' David Rittich: Slated to start Thursday
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Rittich is expected to start on the road against San Jose on Thursday, according to Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider.
Rittich will attempt to rebound after stopping 31 of 35 shots en route to a 4-2 loss to Calgary in his last start Saturday. He's 11-6-3 with a 2.26 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 22 appearances in 2023-24. The Sharks, who rank 31st offensively with 2.22 goals per game, present a very favorable matchup for Rittich.
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Kings' David Rittich: Can't fend off former team
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Rittich stopped 31 of 35 shots in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Flames.
Rittich took his fourth loss in his last seven games, though it was a full-team failure of a performance for the Kings on Saturday. The 31-year-old is down to 11-6-3 with a 2.26 GAA and a .918 save percentage through 22 appearances. Rittich is still playing second fiddle to Cam Talbot, who should be back between the pipes Monday versus the Jets.
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Kings' David Rittich: Facing Flames
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Rittich will be between the visiting pipes in Calgary on Saturday, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.
Rittich spent parts of five seasons with the Flames to start his NHL career. He is 11-5-3 with a 2.17 GAA and a .917 save percentage this campaign, as he has provided the Kings with outstanding goaltending when called upon. Calgary is tied for 17th in the NHL this season with 3.06 goals per contest.
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Kings' David Rittich: Posts 31-save shutout
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Rittich recorded a 31-save shutout in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Wild.
Rittich was up to the challenge from the Wild, and the Kings' offense gave him plenty of support. He's earned shutout wins in two of his three starts in March. The 31-year-old netminder is at 11-5-3 with a career-high three shutouts through 21 appearances, and he's maintained a 2.17 GAA and a .920 save percentage this season. The Kings' homestand wraps up against the Lightning on Saturday.
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Kings' David Rittich: Facing Wild
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Rittich will guard the home goal against Minnesota on Wednesday, Russell Morgan of Hockey Royalty reports.
Rittich wasn't great in his last start Saturday against the Stars, surrendering four goals on only 29 shots en route to a 4-1 defeat. He'll try to get back in the win column in a home matchup with a middling Wild team that's averaging 3.03 goals on the road this year, tied for 16th in the NHL.
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Kings' David Rittich: Falls to Dallas
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Rittich allowed four goals on 29 shots in Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Stars.
The Stars got to Rittich early Saturday, scoring three goals in the first period, handing the 31-year-old netminder the loss in just his second start since Feb. 26. Rittich is now 10-5-3 on the season with a .916 save percentage and a 2.29 GAA, as he's returned to a backup role behind Cam Talbot. Rittich should get another start early next week, however, with the Kings hosting Chicago and Minnesota on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
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Kings' David Rittich: Slated to start Saturday
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Rittich is expected to be between the pipes on the road for Saturday's clash with Dallas, Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period reports.
Rittich is coming off a 26-save shutout performance against the Islanders on Monday. The 31-year-old backstop will take the second game of the Kings' back-to-back, with Cam Talbot getting the nod versus Chicago on Friday. With another back-to-back around the corner, Rittich should see plenty of action in the short term.
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Kings' David Rittich: Records 26-save shutout
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Rittich posted a 26-save shutout in Monday's 3-0 win over the Islanders.
Rittich went save-for-save with Ilya Sorokin in the first period, and the Kings struck first on an Adrian Kempe tally in the second. The shutout was Rittich's second of the season and the sixth of his career. He's up to 10-4-3 with a 2.19 GAA and a .919 save percentage through 19 appearances. Cam Talbot retook the starting role in late February, but Rittich has proven capable of taking the reins as well and should at least be a solid backup option down the stretch.
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Kings' David Rittich: Set to start Monday
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Rittich was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, per Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site, indicating he will protect the home net Monday versus the Islanders.
Rittich has lost two of his past three outings, giving up eight goals on 74 shots during that span. Through 18 games played this campaign, he holds a 9-4-3 record with one shutout, a 2.32 GAA and a .914 save percentage. The Islanders sit 17th in the league this season with 3.11 goals per contest.
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Kings' David Rittich: Handed loss Monday
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Rittich allowed four goals on 31 shots in Monday's 4-2 loss to Edmonton.
Rittich played with a lead for over half of the contest, but the Oilers scored three unanswered goals starting with Leon Draisaitl's power-play marker late in the second. The Oilers got stronger as the game progressed, firing 23 shots in the final two frames, and Rittich ultimately ended up with an .871 save percentage in the contest. In his last six games, the 31-year old netminder has gone 3-3-0 with 18 goals allowed. Rittich's upside is capped compared to true starting goalies, as the Kings have been very inconsistent this season.
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Kings' David Rittich: First off Monday
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Rittich was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider reports, indicating he will defend the road net Monday against Edmonton.
Rittich is coming off a 22-save performance in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over Anaheim. He also earned a 26-save shutout victory against the Oilers on Feb. 10. Over 17 appearances this campaign, Rittich has compiled a 9-3-3 record with a 2.21 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Edmonton sits fifth in the league this season with 3.55 goals per game.
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Kings' David Rittich: Wins in shootout
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Rittich stopped 22 of 24 shots in Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over the Ducks.
Rittich stopped all of the Ducks' even-strength shots, as both of his goals allowed were on special teams -- one shorthanded and the other on the power play. The Kings' stout defense allowed only 13 shots in the final two frames and none in the extra period. This was Rittich's fifth win in his past seven games dating back to Jan. 31. Rittich is a risky but potentially rewarding fantasy netminder who works best as a streaming option against weaker opponents.
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Kings' David Rittich: Expected to start vs. Ducks
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Rittich will guard the home net Saturday versus Anaheim, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports.
It'll be the second straight start for Rittich after he allowed two goals on 19 shots in a loss to Nashville. The 31-year-old netminder is 8-3-3 on the season with a .918 save percentage and a 2.24 GAA. The Ducks are averaging 2.61 goals per game, the fourth-lowest mark in the league.
