Bye Week May See Kings Saying Bye To Playoff Spot

Does it feel like there hasn’t been a Kings game in forever? They haven’t been home in 2 weeks, and had been vacationing on their bye week the past 5 days, so it’s about time they came home to Staples Center.  The last 5 teams coming off of a bye week are 0-5, losing by a combined 24-6. Teams are 2-8-1 overall since the introduction of the bye week this season, and the Kings were playing a team well below them in the standings, which of course means they were primed to fail. On the promising side, tonight welcomed into the lineup for the first time Adrian Kempe, a highly anticipated prospect who’s been a favorite in Ontario. He replaces Devin Setoguchi, who in 45 games played had only 4 goals, 8 assists and was a -5.

Kempe opened the game on a wing to Anze Kopitar‘s center, who had Tyler Toffoli flanking his right. It was a beautiful looking line, poised to be a danger to Coyotes goalie Mike Smith. In true Kings fashion, however, the didn’t even get 5 minutes in before letting in a goal. Feeling the rustiness of a break, Jeff Carter skated to the box 3:33 in (I know, I know, if Carter is on the scoresheet this way it’s not a good sign.) The first minute seemed like it would be a breezy penalty kill. A shorthanded goal perhaps. Nope. A rim shot crossed the goal plane, though not everyone seemed to know it, including the refs. After a lengthy deliberation, the goal stood and the clock was reset to 14:53. So fast I almost missed it came a second Coyotes goal. Seriously. 14 seconds later. Perhaps they weren’t aware play had begun again? Barely 5 minutes had passed and the Coyotes had 2 goals on 3 shots.

In a period more defined by almost fights than by clean, crisp plays, the Kings were struggling. Brayden McNabb was called for tripping, yet still, through almost 13 minutes of play the Coyotes still had 3 shots. And those all important 2 goals. Kempe came so close to his first NHL goal when he made a stunning play on the blue line, a takeaway that led to a one on one with Smith. He ended up not able to get off the best angled shot, but if he makes more little, slick plays like that it’s only a matter of time. Marian Gaborik and Kyle Clifford found some nice chemistry along with Nic Dowd (who continues to impress me even without a huge goal total). Even the fourth line of Trevor Lewis, Nick Shore and Dwight King were getting some chemistry going, but the second period brought much of what the first did, thankfully minutes the Coyotes scoring. Great chemistry from all four lines but nothing to show for it. Kopitar, Toffoli and Kempe did everything they could to get Kempe his first NHL goal. While it was beautiful to watch, it was equally as frustrating to watch them thwarted at every turn. Half way through the second the Coyotes has 10 shots on goal to the Kings 21, and yet the score remained in favor of the visiting team. Pearson and Stone took sme whacks at each other, leading to some 4-on-4 action, which could have at least spiced some things up. (Drew Doughty was doing his best, but he is but one man.) Alas, Alec Martinez missed Pearson too much, and slashed his way to a seat next to him in the plenary box. A nice opportunity for him to redeem himself coalesced as he exited the box, his pass to Pearson coulda shoulda woulda been the Kings first goal of not for the crossbar.

I asked for a more eventful third period, and I got it. I have only myself to blame. I mean on the one hand, it’s exciting that the Kings finally woke up. On the other, they weren’t entirely awake and can they please be awake for all 60 minutes of hockey? Kopitar was making Smith look quite good, though Kempe was the only King I noticed who was actually crashing the net for potential rebounds. Of course as soon as I noticed that, Pearson cashed in on a Carter shot, placing a rebound over a lunging Smith’s left shoulder easily. 2-1. Before anyone could really celebrate a ‘comeback,’ however, it was 3-1 (seriously it was the next shift that Martinez lost his man too close to Budaj). Toffoli then got absolutely leveled in the offensive zone with no call, so instead of taking their anger out with stupid penalties, Dustin Brown decided the best revenge would be to score a goal. He was unsuccessful in the low slot, but his second attempt (as he was falling to the ice no less) chipped in past Smith and the Kings were within 1 again. How useful that Smith should then decide to smack Brown in the face with his stick and incur a penalty? Of course it would have been more useful if a) the Kings didn’t almost immediately give up an unassisted shorthanded goal (I mean come on now!) and b) the goal they did score was actually counted. Apparently the puck was whistled dead on the place before the puck was pushed over the goal-line (though just because the refs couldn’t find it doesn’t mean Smith could either – the refs definitely blew that call.)