For the second time in less than a week, the Los Angeles Kings had a date with the San Jose Sharks. Coming off their first win of the season against the Utah Hockey Club the night before, the Sharks handed the Kings a 4-2 loss on a back-to-back.
Compete, heart and urgency were nonexistent for the Kings, and to come out with a performance like that against the worst team in the league that was on a back-to-back was brutal. Multiple top players were invisible all night and it did not help that the Kings’ leading goal scorer before this game, Kevin Fiala, (Alex Laferriere scored last night to take the lead) was a healthy scratch because he failed to meet team protocol and missed a meeting.
Fiala’s scratching meant that Akil Thomas would finally make his debut and he slotted in on the wing on the second line to start the game and ended up scoring the Kings’ first goal potting the rebound of a Brandt Clarke point shot.
The Kings never led in last night’s game either, tying the game up at one and then at two before Tyler Toffoli and William Eklund scored for the Sharks.
Power Play Is Atrocious
The Kings struggled in a lot of categories last night but nothing was worse than their power play. It currently ranks in the bottom four league-wide and they had six opportunities to find the back of the net against the Sharks. Awful isn’t even enough to describe it as they went 0/6.
Not scoring with that many opportunities is one thing but the Kings could barely set up cleanly and get the puck moving around the perimeter to try and get pucks on net. The amount of individual talent the Kings possess should be enough to at least get some decent looks on the power play against a team like San Jose but since the beginning of the season, it has not been clicking at all. With Fiala scratched, Quinton Byfield took his spot on the first unit playing the bumper. Clean passes were hard to come by and it was an all-around disaster for both units.
Rough Outing for Rittich
The Kings play the Vegas Golden Knights tonight on a back-to-back so it’s no surprise that the coaching staff opted to go with David Rittich against the Sharks and let starter Darcy Kuemper take on the Golden Knights. Rittich had a .850 save percentage and minus-0.88 goals saved above expected. Two out of the three goals Rittich allowed were ones he would have liked to have back. The first goal had no business going in as it was a direct shot from the point with no screen. The second goal again was a clear shot on the same glove side that Rittich just missed. In no shape or form did the Kings play good enough to win this game but if Rittich handles both of those, it’s a different game.
Multiple Players Invisible
Usually, Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe are consistently strong and are two of the most defensively reliable forwards the Kings have. Last night was the complete opposite as they were invisible offensively and not at their best defensively either finishing the night minus-3.
Related: LA Kings Game Notes: Clarke, Edmundson Propel Kings Past Utah
It’s also time to start questioning where Byfield and Trevor Moore are. While they have shown glimpses of positivity, they both look like they are out of it, being almost non-existent game after game. Moore had a secondary assist last night but other than that, it was much of the same that we have seen from those two all season long. Byfield looked like a monster in the preseason and Moore led this team in goals last season but so far through nine games, they have a combined one goal and seven points between the two of them.
The Kings need to flush this performance out of their system quickly as the Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights pay them a visit tonight at 7 p.m. PST.
