Freeway Faceoff Shuts Out Kings For Third Straight Game

The Kings dominated the first, so of course they left the period down 1-0. Within the first two minutes they had three grade-A chances at a clean rebound but couldn’t quite get their sticks on the puck to finish the opportunity. Clifford got into his first fight of the period (you read that correctly – period, not evening) 2:33 into it, with Jared Boll, though he threw some strong punches, was the first to fall. By 8:22 Doughty was furious enough to throw down, but with the ref who called him for ‘hooking.’ The resulting penalty kill was just solid Kings hockey. The Ducks never had enough possession to even set up a shot let alone take one. To bookend the period Clifford threw down his gloves again at 18:24, this time with Kevin Bieksa. As he left down the tunnel Matt Greene gave him a pat on the shoulder. It looked like the Kings would leave the period tied at no score, as neither team could control the puck for any significant stretch of time, yet with 30.8 deconds remaining Budaj is caught with the puck in the net behind him and the Ducks took the lead.

A lead the second period only served to extend. Significantly. This season the second period has been the Kings downfall; this game was no different. The wheels began spinning off when Jake Muzzin took a double minor for high sticking at 1:30. (I didn’t see any blood and Joseph Cramarossa certainly sold it so I’m not sure how legit the double was.) Unlike the Doughty penalty there were no good clears; there were in fact no good plays from the a kings, who gave up a goal in both penalties. The first came 1:20 into the 4 minutes, then 31 seconds later a second goal (for which the blame lays squarely on Derek Forbert), and the hopes of a comeback looking slimmer and slimmer, all with less than 3:30 minutes played in the whole period. At that point the Ducks were out hitting the Kings 26-15, had won 64% of the faceoffs, and technically both of the fights, so it was tough slogging in all aspects of the game.

The Ducks 4th goal came about half way through the period when Budaj over extended himself to his right, leaving the wrap around chance on the other side of the net easy, and only made easier by Alec Martinez’s skate aiding it in the net when he attempted to play goaltender. Dustin Brown, who had one of the grade-A chances at the beginning of the game, had an open net and an unobscured shot he (for some unknown reason) hesitated on that allowed John Gibson time to center himself and stop what could have been the team’s first goal. Alas. Gilbert then collided with Corey Perry in a legitimate hit that lead to some not quite so legitimate roughing, and 4-on-4 ensued. While that usually aids the team trailing it did nothing for the Kings – even Tyler Toffoli couldn’t get a shot off when he received a stretch pass and was practically alone in the Ducks zone. Drew Doughty then tried to take the game into his own hands, highhandedly attempting to do all of the things, which good as he is, was never going to work.

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