There’s nothing better for a team than to see one of their best players bounce back after facing some adversity. That was the case for the Los Angeles Kings and forward Kevin Fiala.
Fiala had a tough start to the season for multiple reasons. Throughout the first few games, it looked like he was fighting the puck and was unable to settle in or get comfortable and it was evident when he had the puck on his stick in prime areas on the ice. He had trouble accepting passes, he was bobbling pucks in the offensive zone, and he was blatantly giving them up as well. Fiala didn’t look like the nifty, confident player everyone knows he can be.
The bar has always been set high for Fiala as a King and it should be. They paid a premium to acquire him from the Minnesota Wild back in 2022, giving up not only 2024 Calder Trophy finalist defenseman Brock Faber, but also the 19th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. While his four goals and six points in the first nine games of the season were pretty decent numbers, more was expected from Fiala, especially considering how disjointed he looked on the ice during those first few games.
What Caused Fiala to Be Benched?
There was something else that added to Fiala’s rough start to the season and it didn’t have anything to do with what he was doing with the puck on his stick. The 2024-25 Kings have spent an abnormal amount of time in the penalty box and there was a two-game stretch where Fiala continued to land himself in the box by taking undisciplined, lazy penalties in the offensive zone. Those penalties ended up with head coach Jim Hiller stapling him to the bench for the entire third period against the Utah Hockey Club on Oct. 26.
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The downward spiral Fiala was going down didn’t stop there as he was a healthy scratch against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 29 for missing a team meeting and violating team protocol.
It was a fluke accident, according to Fiala who said that his iPhone was broken and that the alarm he set on his iPad never went off. “I take full responsibility and I have to be better,” Fiala said.
How Did Fiala Respond?
That was essentially rock bottom for Fiala and the only direction he could go from there was up. The Kings had a quick turnaround after their disappointing loss to the Sharks as they hosted the Vegas Golden Knights the next day where Fiala made his return to the lineup. Not only did he make his return to the ice, but he wasted no time making a positive impact contributing to the Kings’ 6-3 win over the Golden Knights with a goal and an assist.
“It was great to come back, I had a quick chance to make up for it, what happened yesterday, and just happy to be back and happy that I could help the team win,” he said.
His performance against the Golden Knights was just the beginning as he’s been on a tear ever since being benched. It’s almost like that was the best thing to happen to him because it looks like it has brought out this new level that just wasn’t visible during the first handful of games to start the season.
In the last five games, Fiala has three goals and six points. He’s over a point per game and the confidence he has shown with the puck is at a new high with the plays he’s making. One thing is clear about his game right now and it’s been his ability to find shooting lanes and get the puck to the net. Over those five games, he’s had 17 shots on goal. His 44 total shots on goal this season rank in the 94th percentile league-wide.
Fiala continues to cook. Laferriere feeds him for a one timer on the power play and the Kings lead 2-1. #GoKingsGo
— Raz Devraj (@razdevraj) November 6, 2024
He’s been a beast in the offensive zone consistently finding ways to create and finish. The impact he’s had for the Kings has also been noticed by Hiller as his ice time has increased over the past few games. Fiala reached 20-plus minutes for the first time this season against the Chicago Blackhawks and then reached a new high in ice time with 21:30 against the Vancouver Canucks playing alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
Purely from an eye-test standpoint, it’s clear how good Fiala has been playing, and his advanced metrics back it up. He leads all Kings forwards in FF% (percentage of any unblocked shot attempts while that player is on the ice that are for that player’s team) with 64.18% and in SF% (percentage of total shots while that player is on the ice that are for that player’s team) with 65.23%. 61.39% of total scoring chances, when Fiala is on the ice, are in favor of the Kings, and he holds the second-highest percentage in that category just under Alex Turcotte. He also leads the entire team in HDCF% (percentage of total high-danger scoring chances while that player is on the ice that are for that player’s team) with 62.64%. Regardless of whether or not he is the one shooting the puck, or scoring the goal, the Kings are producing more chances for, than against, when he is on the ice.
Fiala had the second-most goals and the second-most points on the team last season. He has and will continue to be heavily relied on when it comes to offensive production. Hiller opting to hold Fiala accountable for the continued penalties and missing a team meeting was evidently the perfect way for him to handle the situation. Being benched lit a fire under Fiala who has gone out and proved why he is one of the best players on this Kings team for a stretch of games now.
