Own Goal, Bad Penalties Help Hurricanes Beat LA Kings 4-3
- Updated: November 22, 2015
It was one of those games. Just as the LA Kings were making a comeback against the lowly Carolina Hurricanes scoring 2 goals in 0:58 seconds, the LA Kings took another undisciplined penalty when Jordan Nolan slashed Elias Lindholm in the offensive zone (a BIG no-no for Coach Darryl Sutter), the “Canes” scored on the ensuing power-play in what ended up becoming the game winning goal when Kings defenseman Alec Martinez bobbled a rebound and accidently scored in his own net.
This Sunday afternoon match-up was scheduled to start at 1pm eastern time, which of course makes it 10am Pacific time, which the LA Kings are not accustomed to. The time difference definitely showed itself in the first period as the Kings were playing like they were still half asleep while the “Canes” were out playing and out hustling the LA Kings at every turn. The Hurricanes got on the board first and early from an innocent looking shot by the point by Brett Pesce at 3:31. This was Pesce’s first career goal. Despite the shot not being deflected and with Jonathan Quick seemingly seeing the puck clearly (unless Quick was still asleep?), the puck whiffed past Quick and into the net. The LA Kings would then chase the “Canes” for the rest of this game.
Early in the second period, Jeff Skinner made it 2-0 Carolina by scoring a strange angled goal at 1:48. The puck was shot behind the net and bounced off the boards and right onto Skinner’s stick. With Quick out of position and a rushing Martinez heading towards him, Skinner made no mistake with it and scored.
If the early starting time helped allow the Kings to be in a lethargic state (and the terrible habit of the LA Kings tending to play down to inferior team’s levels), it may have also allowed the Kings to be undisciplined in their play as an epidemic of bad penalties throughout this game didn’t help any matters for them either. Drew Doughty took an interference penalty at 3:45 and during the next face-0ff, Anze Kopitar took a delay of game penalty when making a hand pass in the face-off circle. The “Canes” took advantage of the 5 on 3 power-play when Justin Faulk scored a laser at 4:26 to make it 3-0. A few seconds after this goal, “Dewy” took another penalty but this time for a delay of game when he shot the puck into the stands from the Kings’ defensive zone.
The Kings finally showed some life when Captain Dustin Brown was awarded a penalty shot when Carolina rookie Noah Hanifin touched the puck with his own hand in the goal crease. Brown scored a beauty of a goal to finally get the Kings on the board 3-1.
0:58 seconds later, Kopitar scored on a Hurricane turnover at 14:00 to make things interesting.
Then came the offensive zone penalty by Nolan and the Martinez own goal. Two interesting notes that followed that was that at the end of the second period, Captain Brown waited for Martinez to reach the bench so he can give him some positive support (that’s awesome!). The other was Sutter pulling Quick in exchange for Jhonas Enroth for the 3rd period in an effort to create a spark for the LA Kings. Quick didn’t seem too happy about it (especially after the 3rd and 4th Carolina goals were not his fault).
To add to the misery, 8 seconds (not Luke Perry) into the third period, Tanner Pearson received a high-sticking penalty. Brown was then called for hooking about a minute after that and Enroth and the Kings had to kill another 5 on 3. Luckily they did.
Anze Kopitar scored a power-play goal (and his second of the game) for the Kings at 9:15 with a stunning one timer to pull the Kings within one goal but the final score stood and the Kings lost their second in the row against 2 lower Eastern Conference teams in the standings. The Kings play again tomorrow on the road (the third game in 4 days) against the Willie Mitchell led Florida Panthers at 4:30 pm pst (7:30 pm est).
Christian Ehrhoff and rookie Jordan Weal replaced healthy scratches Derek Forbort and Andy Andreoff. No word from Coach Sutter yet if they will also play tomorrow. Either way, hopefully the Kings can wise up and stay out of the penalty box.
Okay, I’m out of here. GO KINGS GO!!!
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