Returning home for the first time in weeks found the Kings still staring at the same question they’ve been pondering for weeks — is the glass half full or half empty? Following another loss at Crypto.com Arena, it’s true that they aren’t winning games in Downtown LA — a building they dominated in last season. It’s also true that by dragging the game into overtime, they once again banked another valuable point toward the Pacific Division standings.
Of course, this builds upon LA’s just completed six-game road trip, where they successfully secured points in five of those contests, including four victories. Thus, the home crowd was buzzing at puck drop, hoping to see the Kings leverage some of their recent momentum against the surprisingly formidable Boston Bruins.
So, which is it, are things going well or poorly?
It all depends on perspective, and it depends if the question is being asked globally or very specifically, because when it comes to the power play, something needs to change… and quickly.
Friday night’s contest featured a true absence of offense. Yet the Kings had nearly a dozen near highlight reel plays, that if that if they resulted in a goal would have be replayed over and over for the rest of the season. In the end, it was almost a fluke play — shorthanded — that gave coach Jim Hiller’s squad their only marker of regulation.
LA had a golden chance midway through the opening frame, earning a two-man advantage for just over a minute. Despite the opportunity, they couldn’t find the back of the net, nor many quality looks. Still, they controlled the faceoff circle, setting the tone for a strong puck possession game.
Coming out with renewed energy in the second period, LA generated more shots and sustained offensive zone pressure. Both teams had their chances, with Kevin Fiala ringing a point shot off the post for the Kings, while the Bruins hit iron twice themselves. By the end of the period, the Kings held a commanding 26-11 edge in faceoffs against one of the league’s best teams at the dot.
Hiller’s group earned another power play early in the third, but continued to struggle with the man advantage, as the Bruins’ penalty killers generated the better scoring chances. Boston’s Morgan Geekie broke the scoreless deadlock with his team-leading 15th goal, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Later, when the Bruins — boasting the NHL’s fourth-ranked power play, got their second opportunity of the night — it was the Kings who capitalized. Joel Armia scored a shorthanded goal, his second in as many days, to tie things up. The Kings poured on the pressure, outshooting Boston 15-6 in the final frame of regulation, but couldn’t find the go-ahead goal.
In the extra session, LA was once again ultra-aggressive. However, it was the opposition who came away with the victory when Geekie played hero once again. He netted his second of the night to secure the win for Boston.
Key Takeaways:
— Trivia: Joel Armia has scored shorthanded goals in back-to-back games. Who was the first LA Kings player to accomplish this feat?
— Even though the Kings didn’t get the win, they showed a lot of heart. After a slow start in the first period, where they struggled to win battles along the boards, the team bounced back and played much stronger in the second and third periods. Their defensive play stayed solid all night. However, the power play unit with five forwards just isn’t clicking right now. They went 0-for-5 with the man advantage.
— Answer: Bob Pulford, who did so on March 7 and 9, 1971 against the Minnesota North Stars
— Hiller flipped rearguards Brian Dumoulin and Joel Edmundson, with the latter moving to the first defensive pair, opposite Mikey Anderson. This put Dumoulin and Brandt Clarke together on the second pair, something that’s been talked about since training camp.
Full game highlights can be viewed here:
Pregame notes and lineups can be found in the article linked below.
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