The energy at Crypto.com Arena was heavy tonight as the Columbus Blue Jackets (15-15-6) rolled into town to face the Los Angeles Kings (15-11-9). The headlines were already buzzing before puck drop as the Kings recently shocked the league by shipping Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. Combine that roster shock with Darcy Kuemper landing on injured reserve (IR) following last week’s matchup against the Dallas Stars, and the Kings were desperate for a “get-right” game. Unfortunately, they didn’t get it, or the two points.
A Slow Start
The Kings came out looking flat, and Columbus wasted no time making them pay. Mason Marchment was recently traded to the Blue Jackets just two days ago. Five minutes in, Marchment capitalized on a power play to net his second as a Blue Jacket, firing a shot home for his sixth goal of the season.
The Kings had their looks to level the score, but they couldn’t find the finishing touch. With just 24 seconds left in the opening frame, disaster struck again. Marchment found the back of the net for his second power-play goal of the night, sending a disappointed Kings team to the locker room trailing 2-0.
Blue Jackets Lead 2-1
The second period was mostly stale and lacked excitement. At the ten-minute mark, things got heated when Corey Perry and Damon Severson were both sent to the box for roughing. The encounter led to some scrambling, but neither team could convert on the opportunity to score. With 60 seconds left, Andrei Kuzmenko whipped an incredible wrist shot past the Columbus netminder, Jet Greaves. Assisted by Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty, the goal brought excitement and life into the building and cut the lead to 2-1.
Kings Just Couldn’t Keep Up
The Kings threw everything they had at the net in the final 20, but the Blue Jackets’ goaltending stood tall. With five minutes remaining, Kirill Marchenko silenced the crowd, burying a goal to make it 3-1 and effectively putting the game out of reach. A whirlwind of giveaways from both sides only added to the frustration. When the horn sounded, Columbus skated away with two points, leaving the Kings to dwell and reflect on another tough loss. Los Angeles looks to bounce back tomorrow night against the Seattle Kraken as the Blue Jackets take the rest of the week off to enjoy the holidays.
