Toward the top of the Pacific Division with a 9-6-3 record and 21 points, the Los Angeles Kings haven’t had a bad campaign thus far.
But the Kings’ performance during their recent two-game road trip to Calgary and Colorado was stale and mistake-ridden. They failed to sustain momentum and were without unity for the bulk of the trip, stemming from a tendency to make costly, head-scratching errors.
Penalties have been a defining feature of Los Angeles’ season so far. Conceding extra-man opportunities wasn’t a huge problem during the recent road trip, as the Kings didn’t allow a power-play goal against the Flames or Avalanche. But LA still racked up careless penalty minutes, which inevitably slowed the team down. Bad timeliness of penalties has also harmed the Kings, particularly while in the offensive zone or leading a rush.
On another note, giveaways have also been an issue for LA as recent bad turnovers have led to opposing goals, with winger Kevin Fiala, especially, often playing incautiously with the puck. Even when the Kings catch a break by not allowing a goal off a giveaway, it often can take time for them to get back into a rhythm.
Individual players have shown the ability to go to great lengths to win games, but the team still lacks cohesion. Without Drew Doughty, the blue line is a prime example. Brandt Clarke had a strong performance in Calgary by finding dangerous offensive looks and holding his own on defense. But Clarke provided little aid against Colorado in what was an overall defensive nightmare for LA.
Andreas Englund hardly generated any offense against the Flames and saw reduced playing time as a result. Jordan Spence, a technically skilled and mobile defenseman, hasn’t grown into the role the Kings needed him to, and his mistakes were costly in Colorado. While Los Angeles has seen an abundance of blueliner scoring to open the season, the unit’s lack of depth and consistency have kept it from playing at full strength.
Offensively, LA was simply outworked during the road trip. The team had plenty of chances against the Flames but couldn’t sink more than one against rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf. In Colorado, the performance was even worse. The Kings didn’t tally a single shot in the second period — their first shotless frame since 2011 — and only had six shots across the final 42 minutes. Winger Adrian Kempe scored two first-period goals off stout forechecking, but LA couldn’t find a way to add on.
Kempe and Trevor Moore were the only two goalscorers on the road trip. Moore has been on a tear lately, notching points in every game in November so far. But again, sound individual performances can only give the Kings so much production, as forward scoring depth has been weak. Phillip Danault and Quinton Byfield in particular aren’t filling their roles adequately. Both have combined for only three goals, putting pressure on the top-liners to generate more offense.
The lack of consistent scoring, especially on the wings, has been a big factor in head coach Jim Hiller’s constant jumbling of the top lines as he seeks a solution. The Kings’ fourth line has exerted its hard-grinding ability with the addition of rookie Samuel Helenius, but it still isn’t enough.
Darcy Kuemper left the game against Colorado in the third period with an injury and the team has yet to provide an update on his status. Losing Kuemper would be a huge blow to the Kings considering he’s posted some solid starts lately, but may not be the end of the world, as David Rittich was more than serviceable during Kuemper’s previous injury in October.
The Kings will return home for a three-game set and won’t leave California until Dec. 10. LA is 4-1-1 at home and will have the opportunity to cover serious ground in the Pacific Division before its next lengthy road trip.
Simply put, Hiller’s squad is complicated. It has lingered around the top of the Pacific to begin the season but hasn’t proved to be particularly strong in one area yet. The Kings have displayed sufficient play in wins but are still searching for sustainable solutions to their woes during losses. The Kings’ inclination to win games they are outplayed in by playing well down the stretch is important, but certainly not dependable.
If Los Angeles can start games strongly — like in Colorado — and also play a solid 60 minutes, it should be able to win more close games. But the Kings will have to severely reduce their sloppy mistakes, or they’ll be in for more trouble.