Defense? What’s That? Asking for the Kings.

(Featured photo : Arizona daily star)

If the Kings’ didn’t have such potential, it wouldn’t be this disappointing. If they had no talent on their roster, I’d at least understand it. But the Kings lack of control in any game is continually baffling to me. In a weird twist of fate, Tanner Pearson was in the starting lineup for the Vancouver Canucks and Tyler Toffoli was a healthy scratch for the Kings. (His streak of 207 consecutive games was in the top 20 in the league.) So it was only appropriate I suppose that the first goal would be scored by Jeff Carter. In Anze Kopitar’s 900th career point, he connected to a streaking Carter who looked like his old, “that 70’s Line self”, twisting the puck in magical ways around defensemen and goalies alike. For the first time in – well let’s just say several games – the Kings didn’t give up a goal in the first 9 minutes of a game. Instead they looked, dare I say it, competitive? Kyle Clifford threw the gloves and while he didn’t win or lose the fight, he looked pretty pleased with himself. Their power play also wasn’t awful, it’s improvising, but it’s also only scored 2 goals in 38 chances so… really up is the only place it can go. Quick was looking good – it was I suppose, only a matter of time before the wheels fell off. I was hoping for slightly longer, but with 4 minors

in the last 7:42 of the first period clearly that wasn’t going to happen. The worst – a Doughty tripping call on Pearson to stop a breakaway goal attempt – resulted in the tying goal. With 2:21 seconds remaining. I would have said close out a period and left it at that, but then another goal against came while the Kings were on the penalty kill with 16 seconds to go and Carter took another penalty as the period officially came to a close, leaving them shorthanded for 2 minutes to start the second. Well, we hoped two whole minutes.

It was, but the penalties were becoming a hindrance. Quickie was having to do a lot of work he shouldn’t have had to if they could just clear the damn puck. And this wasn’t just on penalty kills, this was every time the puck was in their zone. There were far too many second, third, fourth chances on the table. For the first time all season, the Kings were being outshot. 15-8 in the first and 21-7 in the second. So pretty significantly, especially considering it is usually the other way around.  A power play and a power play goal to boot half way through the second was practically a miracle. Kopitar got his second assist of the evening, Kempe his first goal of the season when he tipped in Kopitar’s shot. Alas the rest of the penalties went just as awfully as you’d want them not to. The Kings had nothing going on theirs, then a minute later let Boeser get a clean cut breakaway in which he schooled Quick to make it 3-2. It was already his second of the night and oddly enough the only even strength goal the Canucks had all game. Even strength they had a chance, but shorthanded? Disaster. And they just couldn’t stay out of the box. Wagner continued the parade there with a minute left in the second –

– and before even a minute had passed in the third Boeser had his hat trick. I mean… if you’re going to take that many penalties, maybe learn how to defend on them. Stop leaving your net so unguarded. Clear pucks. Don’t lose coverage that blatantly. It probably didn’t help that the Kings couldn’t win a faceoff to save their lives, – 72.5% to the Canucks by the end of the second. Kempe was at 25%, Kopitar 30.4%, Lizotte 37.5%, up to Prokhorkin at 42.9% (and considering it’s his second game in the NHL, that’s not bad). Carter was the only one over 50, at 55.6%. By the end of the night there were four more penalties – three Vancouver missteps that the Kings did nothing with, and one Vancouver did. “Taking penalties like that.. it’s just flat out unacceptable,” Kopitar said. “We gotta be more disciplined.” Carter tried, but with only 1:11 remaining his wrister only made it 5-3 and let’s face it, with their special teams out for so much work and neither being up to the task, it was never going the King’s way anyway. Quick made 44 saves, and some of them were even spectacular. Sure there were some he should have had, but his defense left him nowhere. Must do better, boys.