After a solid performance to down the Flyers last Tuesday, the Kings suffered losses to both the Preds and Blue Jackets.
It was a tough look losing to Nashville 4-1. Ugh...I hate getting beat by those guys, especially when they're not the same team they've been the past few years and their inconsistent play could have been something the Kings jumped on.
Los Angeles was outplayed most of the game, surrendering 38 shots and putting up 24. Despite the outcome, I thought Campbell played pretty well and prevented things from being much worse. Los Angeles was also beat in another major category at the dot. Nashville won 53.5% of the faceoffs to the Kings 46.5%. Not a huge margin, but one that can have a significant impact.
A bright spot of the night was LA converting on one of their four man advantages. Yes, it would have been nice to have them capitalize on more of those opportunities, but it could be worse - they could have gone 0/5 on the PP like the Preds did. Actually...come to think of it...that's a pretty solid night by the PK unit. Well done, boys!
Overall, McLellan probably put it best:
“I just thought one team was so much more intense and hard and committed to doing it over and over again and another team was going to try and win it the easy way and we haven’t done that often. Perhaps this was good for our team, a little piece of humble pie won’t hurt us right now, it gives us an indication that we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
Even though their next tilt was a loss, the effort against Columbus was much stronger from the Kings' standpoint. I felt they were moving better and utilizing their speed. In fact, not only did they outshoot the Jackets 37-24, but they dominated at the dot with a 63.6% win percentage to CBJ's 36.4%. Iafallo even continued his point streak to seven games. But they still came up short.
It's like the Kings had the reverse effort of the Preds game, but ended up with the same result. Credit the Jackets for making adjustments to turn the tide. CBJ backup goaltender, Elvis Merzlinkins has stepped up since workhorse Joonas Korpisalo went down a few games back. It's wild how a guy like Merzlinkins, who hadn't won a game in his career prior to December 31, 2019, has won three of his last four games - with one win coming against the powerful Bruins.
Rivalry Night
The Kings now turn their attention to the Dallas Stars that are currently playing strong hockey and find themselves in third place of the Central Division - a game behind the Avalanche.
The Stars have turned things around since having an awful start to the season and then most recently surviving a surprise coach firing and subsequent change behind the bench.
It'll be a big test for Los Angeles, who is looking to avoid a slippery slope that would take them to three loses in a row.
One advantage LA might have is that star defenseman John Kilingberg is still day-to-day with a lower-body injury he suffered at the Winter Classic. That's on top of news that Roman Polak was sick and out of practice today. Not sure if that will carry over to tomorrow's game, but there is potentially two holes on Dallas' blueline come puck drop.
In terms of the Kings game plan...they need to keep it simple and utilize that new found speed to push defenses back on their heels, while getting shots and bodies to the net. Cliche hockey stuff, but it works.
Playing the Old Dogs
I was poking around over at
LA Kings Insider and found the below quote from McLellan about playing the veterans over some of the kids (for now) very interesting:
"They’ll come back in eventually, yes. I think, where we’re at as a team and what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to get to includes all those young kids. It’s important that they have an opportunity to play and develop here. At this moment, where we are on that evolution line, we have some players that we need in the lineup, we need them up and running and we need them to be playing real well, and you’re going to see that for a while. It may create some confusion amongst, probably not this room, but our fans or outside, because of how we want to turn the team over and grow, but where we are on that line right now, it’s important that players are playing and we get guys up and running. That’s where we’re going to be and that’s what we’re going to do for a little while."
The line about the fans/outside being confused regarding the move to play veterans over the youngsters - which seems to go against against Blake's words - actually makes a lot of sense. it signals the idea that you keep the veterans in the lineup for now as a way to keep showcasing them in hopes their play will catch the eye of someone and you can move them and then slot those prospects into the vacant spots - if it happens at the deadline and assuming you're looking to stockpile picks and prospects for down the line. How else do you move them if you don't play them?
Still wondering how all the moves will unfold.
2020 AHL All-Star Classic
Head over to
Jewels From the Crown to read up on Petersen, Frk and Clague getting the nod to be in the AHL All-Star Classic later this month at the Ontario Reign's barn.
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How about this debut?
Anyways...let's see what the boys can do tonight...Go Kings Go!
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