While the Los Angeles Kings are phenomenal at responding after a loss, the same can’t be said about finding a level of consistency and putting together a string of wins. Throughout 17 games, the maximum amount of games the Kings have been able to win in a row has been two. After a commanding 5-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday (Nov. 9), the Kings fell 2-1 to the Calgary Flames in a game where they weren’t in control at all.
Simply put, the Kings were outworked. It was a full 60-minute effort from a Flames team striving for better starts. Right from the drop of the puck, they were faster, more aggressive, and hungrier to win those 50/50 battles and it showed, as the Kings didn’t register a shot on goal till after the halfway mark of the first period. They were given no space throughout the neutral zone the entire night, hindering their ability to break out cleanly and generate sustained pressure in the offensive zone.
“We didn’t connect, we didn’t play well enough, didn’t have the energy that you need and we were playing catch-up for the better part of half of the game […] everything has to be better,” said captain Anze Kopitar.
Both Goals Were Preventable
It’s tough to look back in a tight game and realize that the goals that were given up could have easily been preventable. While the Flames did their job of generating a lot of good chances, the goals they scored were because of bad mistakes. The Kings essentially gave the Flames two goals and even though they didn’t play well enough to deserve the win, they had a real shot at coming out on top, which makes the two that they gave up sting a little more.
Trying to be too cute instead of making the safe play behind the net is usually something that comes back to bite you, and it did for Vladislav Gavrikov as his attempted chip out in front to Phillip Danault was broken up, which led to the puck landing on Flames captain Mikael Backlund’s stick right in the middle of the left circle. The second Flames goal was just a complete lack of awareness as Jonathan Huberdeau slipped away along the left boards before he was sent in on a breakaway from a stretch pass courtesy of Andrei Kuzmenko.
“Simple mistakes right, that are grade-A chances. You can make mistakes, you can’t give them a grade A, and usually when somebody makes a mistake you like somebody else to try to clean it up, we didn’t have either of those in those two goals,” said head coach Jim Hiller.
“I think those were preventable, it was our mistake,” defenseman Jordan Spence said. “Especially when it’s a 2-1 game at the very end it is very frustrating because usually we never make those mistakes.”
Kings Couldn’t Generate Offense The Way They Like To
The Flames proved why watching film is so important. The Kings are a team that likes to use their defensemen in the offensive zone. Getting the puck to their defensemen and allowing them to find the shooting lanes is something the Kings have been very successful at so far this season. The Flames clearly took note of that heading into the game as the Kings had tremendous difficulty getting pucks through from the point. The Flames blocked 36 shots and clogged up the middle of the ice all game.
The Kings needed to recognize that nothing was getting through from the point and change their style of attack in the offensive zone. The ability to adapt and find different ways to create offense wasn’t as present as it needed to be.
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“They blocked a lot, they had five guys inside, I didn’t think we went D-to-D enough, we just weren’t sharp. The bottom line is when you’re on it you’re quick, it’s moving quick, you find a lane, you get a tip. All those things that just didn’t happen,” said Hiller.
“I think Calgary did a really good job getting in front of the net, trying to block shots […] I think we just have to really try to find the lanes and try to move,” said Spence.
Kuemper Did All That He Could
There have been a few games where the Kings have needed either Darcy Kuemper or David Rittich to stand strong and keep them in games when things aren’t going well for the rest of the team. Last night was one of those nights where Kuemper answered the bell time and time again keeping the game within reach for the Kings. It took a while for the Kings to find their legs. Many turnovers and the countless times they were on their heels and hemmed in their zone led to a number of quality looks for the Flames that Kuemper handled. Stopping 20 of 22 shots and finishing with a .909 save percentage, Kuemper did everything he could have to give his team the chance to collect two points.
“Both Darcy and Dave have been really good for us so far this season and it’s on us to make sure that we score a few goals for them and, you know, not giving up too much to where they have to make spectacular saves,” said Kopitar.
“He was giving us a chance […] he did his job, he held the fort till we got our legs under us it just took too long,” said Hiller.
“He kept us in the game today and obviously we didn’t win, but when he’s making those saves he gives us the confidence to try and come back and win those type of games,” said Spence.
The Kings have yet to drop two games in a row in regulation this season and the chance to keep that stat alive will continue on Wednesday (Nov. 13) in Colorado as they wrap up this short two-game road trip.
