The Los Angeles Kings fell short in a tight game against the Vancouver Canucks losing 4-2. It was the Kings’ third game in four days yet they stuck with it until the end keeping things interesting against the 2024 Pacific Division champions. Good starts are something the Kings want to continue to have and last night they did just that as Quinton Byfield opened the scoring 1:43 into the game on the Kings’ first shot of the game.
It was a weird game, to say the least. The amount of penalties that occurred in the first period made it very difficult for either team to really settle in and start playing their game. While it seemed like the Kings had a bit of an edge to start the game, it quickly evaporated once Kings forward Tanner Jeannot targeted Brock Boeser’s head in open ice and was faced with a five-minute major and a game misconduct. It was a late and extremely unnecessary hit and it allowed the Canucks to get their offense rolling as Conor Garland tied the game at one with just over a minute left in the five-minute major.
“They had seven minutes of power play, we had four, I believe, so that’s pretty much whole special teams. You’ve got a group of guys that play a lot and a group of guys that don’t get on the ice at all. So really, no flow for the first but then we started fresh in the second,” head coach Jim Hiller said.
It was two Pacific Division heavyweights going at it and that’s exactly how it felt. Neither team was given much space in all three zones. The Canucks played the same way the Kings like to play. The difference was they were just a tiny bit better at winning those 50/50 battles, capitalizing on their chances, and getting some key saves.
“I thought they were a little bit quicker to pucks and a little bit stronger once they got there. It’s an even game, but I thought they were a little bit quicker and a little stronger once they arrived,” said Hiller.
The Byfield We Saw Last Night Is the Byfield We Want to See Every Night
The first month of the season hasn’t exactly been sunshine and roses for Byfield. Starting the season with zero goals through 13 games after having a phenomenal preseason was starting to get a little worrisome. It felt as if he was thinking about it a little too much and gripping his stick a little too hard. You could tell that his lack of production, especially in the goal department, was like a dark cloud looming over his head.
Byfield finally got the monkey off his back, scoring his first of the season last game against the Minnesota Wild. That goal took a big weight off his shoulders as the Byfield we saw during preseason looked to have made his appearance. Not only did he waste no time in collecting his second goal of the season with a nasty backhand move on a breakaway, but he used that speed and explosiveness on both sides of the puck. For a guy as tall as Byfield, it’s remarkable how quick he can be. He ranks in the 90th percentile in the NHL for top speed bursts, and he’s not only using it to generate offense off the rush. Byfield had a great game defensively using that explosiveness to backcheck and make key plays in the defensive zone to break up plays and strip players of the puck on the backcheck.
What we saw from Byfield against the Canucks was exactly the type of performance we have been waiting to see. He was impactful offensively and defensively at even strength, reliable on the penalty kill, able to score a big goal, and more.
Kuemper Would Have Liked a Couple Back
Darcy Kuemper didn’t have a bad game, but he was most definitely outplayed by the goalie at the other end of the ice in Kevin Lankinen. Goaltending has been super streaky for the Kings and while neither Kuemper nor David Rittich’s numbers are very good, they have mostly been reliable. Making big key saves early has been a common theme and at times it has played huge parts in the Kings’ ability to win certain games.
While Kuemper had an average night, there were a couple of goals he would have liked to have back. The first goal he let in seemed to be because of a perfect play from Canucks forward J.T Miller. While Miller’s cross-ice pass froze almost everyone on the ice and gave Garland a wide-open net to shoot at, the way the puck ended up in the net was because of Kuemper himself. Watching the replay back it’s a bit of a head-scratcher seeing Kuemper turn and swat the puck directly into his own net. Obviously, it wasn’t something he meant to do but you take that goal away and the Kings probably end up having a one-goal lead after the five-minute major.
Related: LA Kings Game Notes: Second Win in as Many Nights With 5-1 Thumping of the Wild
The second goal was a matter of committing first. It was a defensive breakdown by Phillip Danault which allowed Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk the opportunity to be all alone in front of Kuemper in the first place, but as a goaltender, biting first usually never ends up positively. If Kuemper was a little more patient and allowed DeBrusk to make that first move, it would have allowed him a better chance at making that save.
The Power Play Can’t Get Much Worse
It’s mind-blowing and disappointing at the same time how often the struggles this team has on the power play need to be brought up. It’s even worse when their power play struggles impact the outcome of the game. There is no reason a team should consistently be going scoreless on the power play when given multiple opportunities throughout the game. The Kings are 2/18 on the man advantage in their six games and have had nine power plays in their last three games only capitalizing once. Playing a team as good as the Canucks, being able to take advantage of the power play is crucial. The Kings have had trouble setting up the power play throughout this first month but against the Canucks it was finding ways to get clean looks on net where they struggled. The puck movement looked great, and at times they had Lankinen dead to rights and out of position, but they either missed the pass or whiffed on a shot and couldn’t get that puck to the net.
Regardless of what is actually going wrong on the power play, the concern is there always seems to be a problem with it and it’s evident with how unsuccessful it has been so far. Special teams play a massive part in determining the outcomes of games and it’s a department the Kings are going to need to figure out soon here.
“Unfortunately, they won the special teams, and that can kind of be a difference winning hockey games,” forward Warren Foegele said.
The Kings’ busy week continues as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday as they look to get back into the win column.
