Night two of back-to-back games have not been kind to the LA Kings this season, and with a 4-2 loss on Tuesday in Calgary, they’re just 2-5-2 on the second day. More importantly, the Kings lost for the second consecutive night in Alberta to a team they’re fighting with for playoff positioning.
Although the first period was rather low-event hockey for both teams, the Kings were essentially playing catch-up from the opening puck drop. They were outshot 10-3 in the first frame – a stark contrast to their opening 20 minutes in Edmonton the night before. However, when all was said and done, LA once again headed to the first intermission tied.
Phil Danault wired home a slap shot to put the Kings up 1-0 in the second period, but it was rather short lived. Calgary scored two goals in just the next few minutes to take a 2-1 lead. An ensuing power play for LA didn’t provide much of a spark either. Creating dangerous looks with the man-advantage has been a struggle since forwards Adrian Kempe and Viktor Arvidsson left the lineup recently, and the Kings were unable to really get anything going.
Coach Jim Hiller’s group began the final frame with more poise and controlled play for the first ten minutes, but a stoppable shot from Yegor Sherangovich and an empty-netter ultimately sealed the Kings fate.
10 Crucial Days: The NHL Trade deadline is rapidly approaching on March 8; now just ten days away. With LA’s inconsistent play and a recent slew of injuries, GM Rob Blake has many unanswered questions about his hockey team. How the next week and a half plays out will likely play a big factor in the direction that Blake ends up taking, making this upcoming stretch of games very important.
Stat Sheet Takeaways: The Kings had three power plays, yet managed to only register a single shot-on-goal during any of them. For a team that has continued to struggle offensively at even-strength, it’s a matter of concern they have also recently failed to click when 5-on-4 of late. This remains a critical area of focus for Hiller and the coaching staff in order to stay afloat in the Pacific Division.
Fiala’s Hot-Streak: One sliver of hope for the Kings has been Kevin Fiala’s recent play. His game-tying goal on Tuesday gave him four goals in the last five games; he also recorded an assist on Danault’s opening goal. The 27-year-old appears to have found his groove again and has been a bright spot for LA offensively, especially as goals for the club have been few and far between for a few weeks now.
FIALA TIES THINGS UP
@LAKings I #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/40QUrhpbt5
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) February 28, 2024
Doesn’t Get Any Easier: For their final stop on this road trip, the Kings will head to Vancouver on Thursday; marking their first clash of the season against the Canucks — who currently sit atop the Western Conference and second in the entire NHL. The two clubs will get to know each other well, squaring-off four times over the next five weeks. Results of those games will be a huge determining factor in where the Kings finish in the standings.
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