It’s been less than a month since the season started and the Los Angeles Kings played the Chicago Blackhawks in their fourth afternoon game so far.
It’s mind-blowing that the Kings somehow lost 4-3 to the Blackhawks in a shootout. They dominated the entire game, barely giving the Hawks anything, yet somehow blew a two-goal lead and then allowed Tyler Bertuzzi to tie it up with 30 seconds left to go in regulation.
The Kings played exactly how they needed to against the last-place Blackhawks in order to pick up two points. They were the better team in all areas of the ice, spent most of the game in the offensive zone with the Blackhawks on their heels and put pucks to the net outshooting Chicago 40-21.
They were all over the Blackhawks but they just couldn’t find a way to increase their lead by more than two goals which allowed them to remain in the game despite not generating anything substantial.
Kuemper’s Collapse Late Cost the Kings 2 Points
It was one of those games where you could say the reason the Kings lost was because of goaltending. They were a step ahead all game yet the Blackhawks managed to claw their way back tying the game twice. It wasn’t that they allowed them to get back into the game but it was the fact that they were opportunistic.
Darcy Kuemper didn’t have that much action at all throughout the game, especially in the first two periods only needing to stop eight shots. The third period was where the Blackhawks started to put more pucks on net and it was a rough 20 minutes for Kuemper as he let in three goals on 11 shots. The way the Blackhawks got their first goal and allowed them to build off of something was what made it even worse. Nick Foligno’s weak low-danger shot trickled past Kuemper and it wasn’t until out of an act of desperation he flung his glove hand back forcing the puck over the goal line. The second goal was from the top of the circle, Craig Smith’s release was too quick for Kuemper and he reacted too late allowing the Blackhawks to tie the game.
Related: LA Kings Game Notes: Full 60-Minute Effort Earns 6-3 Win Over Golden Knights
While the third goal wasn’t an awful one that Kuemper let in, he allowed the play to develop by not clearing the puck hard enough. He tried to rim the puck around the boards but was unable to get it past Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones and seconds later Bertuzzi found the back of the net.
Kuemper was lucky in OT when Connor Bedard undressed all three Kings skaters but ultimately hit the post. After all that came the shootout and he couldn’t buy a save. From the third period onward it looked like he was fighting the puck. He didn’t look comfortable or confident in the net and it was evident late, especially in the shootout.
Laferriere Drives the Kings’ Offense
No one expected Alex Laferriere to get off to this hot of a start now with a team-leading eight goals, two of which came yesterday. It doesn’t seem to matter where or who he is playing with this season, he’s always managing to produce, create chances, and most importantly, put the puck in the net. He’s getting in good areas and his shot placement has been terrific. Whether it’s on the first line with Kopitar and Kempe, playing with Turcotte or Byfield, or on the first power play unit it’s not very often that you won’t find him on the scoresheet. With the way he has produced so far, hitting 30 goals doesn’t seem that far-fetched.
“I definitely worked on my shot this summer […] I think this year it’s just being patient and trying to find the open lane and yeah like I said they’re just going in right now,” said Laferriere.
His two goals yesterday came because of the way he plays the game. His first goal was a result of him finding that good area and getting open on the power play which allowed Anze Kopitar to find him all alone on the backdoor. Laferriere plays an all-round game and his ability to hunt down pucks and turn it over has allowed him to score multiple goals this season. He did it again yesterday as he started the play by stripping Bertuzzi of the puck. That play allowed the puck to go the other way as he carefully trailed waiting for the puck to be dished out to him near the top of the left circle.
Laferrierre is scoring goals and he’s been scoring big goals at big times. While there are a couple of players who are known to score but can’t seem to find the back of the net, he is someone whom the Kings have been able to rely on to pick up the slack in the goal-scoring department.
“He’s been our most consistent player through 12 games […] right now he’s hot and he’s shooting well, finding good spots but his game is an all-round game so it’s nice that he’s scoring and we’ll always take goals for sure but I just like how he’s playing the game he’s taken a step forward,” said head coach Jim Hiller.
The Kings have a busy week ahead as they head to the Midwest to play the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild on a back-to-back before coming back home to host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
