Raise your hand if you’ve heard this before: Kings outplay their opponent but lose a close game late. A tale all too familiar with Kings fans this season repeated itself on Friday night. The LA Kings dominated long stretches of play against their rival 30 miles southeast, but still found a way to lose. Even the losing point feels like the team came up empty.
“We’re there, no question. We’ve been there for a while,” said head coach Jim Hiller, when asked if the Kings are at the stage where one point is not good enough.
The loss came from LA squandering a 2-0 lead gained midway through the second period, following 30 minutes in which the Kings controlled possession and a majority of scoring chances. The first period was especially dominant, specifically from Quinton Byfield, who had likely his best stretch of play this season. He ripped a shot over Lukas Dostal’s glove for the game’s first goal, and also generated three more high-danger chances in the first frame.
But less than one minute after Joel Armia gave the Kings a 2-0 lead, Ryan Strome shot one through Darcy Kuemper’s legs to get Anaheim back within a goal. Then, two and a half minutes later, a lucky carom off the boards gave Tim Washe a wide-open net, which he stuffed to tie the game at two apiece.
On a night where Crypto.com Arena had tons of energy, it seemed like the Kings might finally break through and win a close one. A slow third period led to a dismal overtime for the Kings, in which they hardly controlled the puck at all. Anaheim won it in the shootout after Mason McTavish roofed a backhand shot over Kuemper’s glove.
Hiller called on the Kings’ top players to step up and turn the tide.
“There are some other guys up in the lineup; those are the guys that need to deliver,” said Hiller.
The quote, while indirect, could have been pointed at the Kings’ star forward, Adrian Kempe. Fresh off a monster extension this offseason, Kempe has found himself in a brutal stretch of turnovers, and tonight was no different. On numerous occasions, Kempe lost the puck in front of Kuemper, giving Anaheim prime opportunities that ended up getting bailed out. Kempe will need to step up his play, along with the rest of the top six, to begin winning hockey games.
The Kings travel to Anaheim Saturday night for a rematch against the Ducks at Honda Center. The Kings remain on the outside looking in regarding the Western Conference standings, sitting one point behind the San Jose Sharks for the second Wild Card spot.