Kings vs Jets: Pacific Division Out of Our Hands

By Emily Redenbach
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Updated: April 10, 2016

https://youtu.be/llx3uRBsoBc

This time last year it was sunny. The last game of the season was played here at Staples Center at 1pm in the afternoon, but the sun didn’t reflect how Kings fans felt. Despite smashing the Sharks, they were going to the playoffs and we weren’t. This year, it was the complete opposite. We played at 7pm a team who at best could be 25th in the league, and not only have we know we were going to the playoffs for weeks, we were playing for the Pacific Division title, a feat that the Kings have only accomplished once in their franchise, in 1991 when they were in the Smythe division. And we lost. In overtime granted but the ability to take the title and the Jennings trophy is no longer in the Kings, and will depend on the Capitals beating the Ducks in their make up game Sunday.

It seemed easy enough, especially in the first period. The Kings came out fast, getting 6 shots on goal to the Jets 1 in the first 5 minutes. There was a goal that wasn’t a goal but was it? After being peppered with shots the puck ended up behind Ondrej Pavelec and at least came in contact with the goal line and some ice behind the crease, but while it warranted a video review according to Jim Fox the puck never crossed the goal line fully. Never one to mind a missed goal, Tyler Toffoli (who will finish the NHL best in plus/minus with +35, led the team in goals with 31, and won the Jim Fox Community Service award) came through for the Kings first real goal. And what a thing of beauty it was! Dustin Brown hustled to get the puck out from the boards, and found Jeff Carter. In what has to be the most beautiful pass of the season Carter got it to Toffoli on the other side who’s shot was easy.

Minutes later Tanner Pearson put the Kings up 2-0 in an almost equally beautiful goal. Milan Lucic, who was voted Best Newcomer, carried the puck into the zone, got it to an open Pearson who’s shot ended up underneath Pavelec’s legs and into the back of the net. It wouldn’t be a true Kings game if they didn’t follow up a goal with either letting in a goal or getting a penalty; luckily it was only a penalty. And it was hardly a penalty – Anze Kopitar (who ended the league 2nd with +34, the MVP of the Kings, and was the leading scorer for the team) was penalized for standing next to a guy who fell over. (I mean this is Kopitar, who is nominated for the Lady Byng trophy each year. He doesn’t take stupid penalties. But seriously, it was hardly deserved.) Thanks in great part to Luke Shenn being an absolute beast it was an easy penalty kill. The post helped the score remain 2-0 at the end of the first, as did some outstanding final minute saves by Pavelec.

The second began well, with the Kings seeing a lot of possession and Jonathan Quick (co-winner with Doughty of the best defensive player, and most popular) being his usual Cirque du Soleil self. Things got even better when the Kings went up 3-0 with a play by Andy Andreoff, unassisted. He got the puck from behind the boards, circled around a few Jets players, whacked it around the side of the net and in. In the funniest moment of the game a stick got caught in the glass and players had to duck underneath it to play. Things got decidedly less funny when the Jets got on the board. And then again with an absolute blast quick didn’t even see – the Kings needed to do a better job of covering Nikolaj Ehlers because he was a huge part of each goal the Jets had. They also need to remember how to finish out a period because both goals came within the last 3 minutes of the period; the second within the last-minute.

Then the third period came and it was clear that the Kings didn’t have any good hockey left in them, but the Jets did. They scored their third 3:21 into the third, and skated circles around the Kings. It was all they could do to get the puck out of their zone and get a shift change, which put them back on the defensive immediately. I can count on one hand the number of face-offs in the Jets zone. About half way through the period another ‘did the puck cross the goal line?’ should have scared the Kings straight, but not even Chris Sutter on the dance cam could kick them back into gear. They were lucky when a Jet skated off bleeding in the last 4 minutes of the game and they weren’t called for high sticking – that could have cleaned them out. As it was a minute into overtime (which they Kings were lucky to get) Jake Muzzin did get a penalty which killed a momentum the Kings had (3-on-3 is a chance for their best to shine), and led to a few scary chances. Finally Carter had a shorthanded breakaway with Drew Doughty (co best defensive player, and outstanding defenseman) streaking down his right that didn’t go but allowed the Kings to play with the Jets. From the point that Muzzin took his penalty however Doughty didn’t leave the ice until OT was over. For the penalty kill it was a choice by Sutter; after that the Jets had all the possession and Doughty couldn’t. He and Carter both had at least 3 minutes straight of ice time and looked gassed when the buzzer finally sound.

And it was thanks to the greatest Quick save this season that it went to OT – with 0.8 seconds left on the clock he lunged the length of the net, threw his stick on the ground to catch the puck with his stick hand and singlehandedly saved the game. Alas neither Kopitar, Carter or Toffoli could score in the shootout and Mark Scheifele did, so the victory was short-lived. It was a slightly disappointing end to a game the Kings should have closed out early. And if they play like that in the playoffs, as opposed to the grit and determination they played with on Thursday against the Ducks, it could be a short playoff run. While the schedule hasn’t been announced based on Staples Center’s schedule the Kings first game will be Thursday, and the second likely Saturday. Until then Kings fans.

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