Keumper Shuts Out Coyotes
- Updated: February 4, 2018
Why the Kings didn’t start Darcy Keumper last game when we were sitting on a shutout is beyond me, but after the tough loss, Stevens tried him in net against a struggling Arizona Coyotes team and something about it worked. Okay, it probably didn’t have a whole lot to do with Keumper, seeing as Dustin Brown has 4 more points this season than the Coyotes do. But it was refreshing to see the Kings stuck to a solid game plan, not play down to a worse team, and play 60 full minutes of hockey. Beautiful, forechecking, scoring hockey.
(getty images)
The Kings did (almost) everything right from start to finish (a few penalties aside.) They were buzzing around the Coyotes net early and despite getting the first penalty (at which point I rolled my eyes and begged them to learn how to start a damn period) they made up for it when Dustin Brown drew his own penalty 16 seconds in by starting a dangerous shorthanded breakaway. The Kings followed up with plenty of chances at the net including one from Alex Iafallo that made it’s way all to the back of the net! The pass from Tyler Toffoli had perfect timing getting past a few Coyotes to a waiting and open Iafallo, the front of the net. He lifted it easily past Wedgewood for the Kings first goal, the first of six as it turns out. Down the other end, Jake Muzzin was smashing guys into the boards and drawing roars of approval from the crowd. Kopitar and Toffoli (what a beautiful line those three make) had a second golden chance, a clear-cut two-on-one, but Kopitar’s pass over a diving defenseman made an awkward bouncing puck that Toffoli just couldn’t handle. The game had the potential to be disappointing, with a few chances that could have come back and haunted them. Instead… the second period happened.
Again, the Kings couldn’t find a way to start a successful period. One minute in Toffoli made his way to the penalty box, Kings fans groaned, and perhaps gave up a little bit of hope. Who else better to shine some hope back to us than Trevor Lewis? America’s hero glided down the ice on a shorthanded breakaway and slipped the puck again past Wedgewood, sneaking it in between his skate and the net blocker side. Shortly afterward Adrian Kempe, who with lineman Dustin Brown contributed some beautiful plays to the game, blasted the King’s third goal into the net. Pearson’s screen was potentially considered goaltender interference, but the Kings won the challenge and the goal stood. It was all Kings, all the time. If they had puck movement this clean and crisp last game it would have been a different story. They were fantastic on the forecheck, controlled the neutral zone, and found all the right spaces. They were so good, the whole period felt like a Kings power play. (In fact, the best chance the Coyotes had on Keumper was when Paul LaDue almost scored on him. Still not sure what was going on there, perhaps he was aiming to clear the puck around the back of the net and got too close?) So when they got an actual power play with 1:19 to go, it was only a matter of time before they scored again. It took literally 5 seconds. Muzzin’s snapshot rocketed by to give the Kings a 3 goal period.
(photo credit to latimes.com)
If I told you the Kings gave up a goal in the opening minutes of the third period, would anyone else be sensing a theme here? It turned out to be offsides so it was waved off, but still. Start. A darn. Period. Please. To make matters worse for the Coyotes, Kopitar’s goal did count 6:22 in. His wrist shot again came after some incredible puck movement, causing the Coyotes to be off balance and out of position. It was not their night. They resorted to scuffles after whistles blew, and even a Pearson/Domi fight. Yes, you read that correctly. Pearson got 5 for fighting, but it was hardly an impressive fight. Dustin Brown closed out the scoring by going 5-hole, a fitting goal since he’d been instrumental in so many plays all evening. Oh, and by the way, that’s Keumper sitting on consecutive shutouts. So maybe, just maybe, we play him again next game? I know that’s practically blasphemous, but when you’ve got a good thing going, why change it? And the Kings had a *good* thing going this game.
Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things Los Angeles Kings and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, All the time
Related Posts
About Emily Redenbach
