Le sigh: Kings Can’t Catch Coyotes

It was one of those games. Where the LA Kings had all of the chances and none of the luck. I mean, it began well. Dustin Brown, who Phil predicted in his article this morning had to have some scoring luck soon, did. After a mad scramble at the net (there were many this game, sadly not enough resulting in a goal), Drew Doughty shoots and Brown cleaned up, right underneath Arizona goalie Mike Smith’s legs. It was pretty gorgeous actually. Simple. With his first NHL goal under his belt, and the Kings outshooting Arizona 5-1, you’d think things would continue to go in the Kings favor. They did not. After a beautiful cycle – we’re talking serious zone time here – the puck found it’s way down the ice and into Martin Hanzal’s open stick, sadly past Jonathan Quick. Because of course. Credit Brayden McNabb for the assist; wait, doesn’t he play for the Kings? Needless to say it was not his finest moment. Sutter agreed; he immediately yanked him off the topline pair with Doughty and set him with McBain.

Doughty found himself in the box soon after, but the Kings showed their resilience and quite frankly a stellar penalty kill. Tyler Toffoli found himself with the puck quite a bit over the course of the night, but for some reason all alone with it in the Yotes zone, and unable to really do anything with it. Until a convenient power play in the second period, where a gorgeous McBain pass cross ice (have I mentioned I’m a McBain fan? Great play there) found his stick and then to the back of the net, top shelf. (He is now tied for the most NHL goals this season with 10. Tyler for the win!) Within the next minute and a half the Kings had the puck solidly in the Yotes zone, and even gained another power play. So of course that’s the sign that things are going to turn against them. With 20 shots on goal to the Yotes 6, inevitably their 7th shot found it’s way past Quick (thanks this time to Kings defenseman Alec Martinez, I’m sensing a terrible pattern here), and suddenly Hanzal was on his way to a hat trick. Because that’s just so LA Kings.

They proceeded to take some really dumb penalties (too many men on the ice? Come on. Amateur hour) and basically leave Quick hanging. First period should have been 10-0 Kings. By the end of the second it should have been 10 all. Everyone expected the Kings to get the next goal. That was the pattern, right? After killing the last 39 seconds of a Martinez penalty (covering the puck, which is the most hypocritical play I’d seen all game considering the Yotes got away with an even more blatant covering earlier in the game) and getting some much needed energy from the Chris Sutter dance cam (that kid is a star!), the Yotes scored. Because of course.

Traitor Brad Richardson, for playing well against your old team. (I kid, I kid.) Side note: Again, McNabb was part of the play and I fully expect Daryl Sutter to bench him Thursday. The Kings just couldn’t rally. They couldn’t find the chemistry and they certainly couldn’t find their way past Smith. It was a disappointing end to a game riddled with mistakes the Yotes unfortunately capitalized on. Until next time Kings fans, which is Thursday against the Islanders. #GoKingsGo