It’s been a while since the opposing team was the one to get going quickly. For the last few games, the Los Angeles Kings have made a conscious effort to come out of the gates flying and waste no time trying to get that early lead. Last night, it was the opposite; the Seattle Kraken gave the Kings a taste of their own medicine.
Even though the Kings managed to finish the first period tied at two despite being heavily outplayed, they didn’t start playing the way they wanted to until the back half of the second period. It was too little too late for the Kings, as they fell 4-2 in the final game of their five-game road trip.
Kings Did It to Themselves
The Kings played an off-brand game, not playing with the greatest effort. They gave the Kraken loads of opportunities, something the Kings have been so great at limiting this season. They give up the least amount of shots per game but the Kraken already had 15 at the end of the first period. It was an uncharacteristic performance in which the Kings weren’t their stingy selves when it came to frustrating the Kraken and making it difficult for them to create chances.
The Kraken spent loads of time in the offensive zone, forcing the Kings on their heels, but three of the four goals they scored were caused by the Kings themselves. Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz’s first goal came after Alex Turcotte fumbled the puck at the blue line and lost possession trying to break out. Schwartz’s second goal came after Warren Foegele was laid out in open ice and a few Kings got caught up in reacting to the hit that they forgot the play was still on, leaving the Kraken with a 3-on-1 the other way. Turnovers were the gift that kept on giving for the Kings, especially when Schwartz was on the ice. In a desperate attempt to find the game-tying goal late in the third, Kevin Fiala mishandled the puck, which led to Schwartz potting his third goal of the game.
Unfortunate bounces and uncharacteristic plays from the Kings throughout the game made it hard for them to come back.
“We’re known for shutting teams down, frustrating teams, and not giving up too many grade-As. In that first period especially, that’s just not who we are, that’s not the reputation we built for ourselves, and I think that’s the most frustrating part; that that’s what kind of caught us in the end,” said defenseman Brandt Clarke.
Kings’ Third Period Push Not Enough
The Kings were down a goal heading into the third period. They were just coming off their best stretch of the game in the last 10 minutes of the second period. A third-period push from the Kings was inevitable; they desperately tried everything to tie the game up at three.
The Kings outshot the Kraken 17-1 in the third period, they had seven high-danger chances to the Kraken’s one, and the entire period consisted of the Kings just pouring it on the Kraken. With the amount of chances and pucks the Kings got to the net, it’s surprising they weren’t able to get one past Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord.
The Kings have been outstanding in the third period, and usually, all they have needed is that push in the third period to come out with a win. That’s not going to work all the time. If anything, this game should be a sign that they can’t rely on them finding a new gear in the third to save the day. The Kings’ performance dictated the outcome; they got what they deserved based on how they played the first 30 minutes of the game. If some of that effort was displayed earlier on in the game, the outcome would most likely be a different one.
“Whether we’re holding the lead or trying to fight back for the lead, we always feel like we are in the game. But if we did that for 60 minutes, there’s no doubt in any of our minds that we would have come out on top tonight,” said Clarke.
Clarke Takes Shifts on the Wing
There are a few things head coach Jim Hiller has made clear this season. One of them is that he’s not afraid to try different line combinations – even ones that are out of the ordinary – in hopes of finding something that could spark the team.
We saw it when he would throw out three forwards in overtime and we saw it again when the Kings, at one point, had five forwards playing on the first power-play unit with Adrian Kempe quarterbacking at the point.
Related: Kings Takeaways: Turcotte & Kempe Push Team to 5-1 Blowout Win Over Canucks
Well, last night during the third period, Hiller tried something you don’t see very often. He moved Clarke up to the wing a couple of times. Obviously, Clarke is a defenseman, but it’s no secret that his elite talent lies within his offensive game. The Kings were trying everything to get that game-tying goal but nothing was finding its way in. Why not throw out your best offensive defenseman on the ice at forward to see if anything can happen?
“I’ve thought about it for a while, so just wanted to see what it looked like. Like I said, we weren’t executing much and Clarkie’s a pretty good offensive player, so I just wanted to see what it looked like,” said Hiller.
“I wasn’t ready for that. It kind of caught me off guard mid-third period, but you know, I’ll do whatever I can to help this team win, and that’s just what I was asked upon,” said Clarke.
The five-game road trip has come to a close with the Kings finishing 2-3-0. The worst part about that disappointing record is that they played better than it shows. The Kings will play two games at home, where they are one of the best teams in the league, before going back on the road for another five games.
