Tuesday night was not one for the ages. In fact, Kings coach Jim Hiller may have destroyed the game tape before his team’s plane landed back in Los Angeles sometime after midnight.
Losing 4-2 isn’t close to being the worst part of the story. Even dropping a game to the lowly San Jose Sharks, on a night they were playing a second consecutive contest (following a win vs. Utah 24 hours prior), isn’t really the headline here. LA’s lackluster performance is what left a lasting impression.
As Hiller alluded to during his postgame media availability, when the Kings took a pair of early penalties, it was the beginning of what would be a rough outing. They weren’t “sharp” in the first period, their passing wasn’t “crisp,” and the power play was absent all together.
Late Lineup Notes: Just before puck drop, it was announced that forward Kevin Fiala would miss the game due to “violating team protocol by missing a meeting.” Of course, this also came after he was benched in the third period of Saturday’s home game. When asked about it following the team’s loss at SAP Center, Hiller indicated the two events were unrelated.
Akil Thomas was set to enter the game as LA’s 4C, replacing Trevor Lewis. However, with Fiala not available, Hiller slid Thomas onto the Phil Danault line — a spot he also subbed into just a few hours before puck drop during a preseason game in Anaheim. He scored that night, and he did it again.
The big question now is, will Thomas play again on Wednesday, when the Kings return home to face the visiting Vegas Golden Knights?
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