Shots Tell the Story in Kings Victory over Ducks

By Jim Ellis
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Updated: November 21, 2016

The shots tell the story. Not the actual shots, but the number of shots.

Read it this way: the Los Angeles Kings outshot the Anaheim Ducks 9 – 5 in the initial period, even though the Ducks had three power plays. Midway through the game, the Kings had outshot the Ducks 22 – 8. By the end of the game, with the Ducks outshooting the Kings 17-3 in the third, the Anaheim team led in overall shots 30-29. Well there you go; add on the final score 3-2, and you’ve got a pretty clear picture of the Kings’ victory Sunday night at the Honda Center.

It was a seesaw game in which the Kings took the first two rounds (netting three goals) and the Ducks nabbed the last round (with two goals). It was not enough to beat the Kings team, now 10-9-1 and tied with 21 points with its cross-county rivals and the Edmonton Oilers.

This “freeway faceoff” always promises to be a battle between two fierce opponents. Only someone forgot to tell the Ducks, which appeared sluggish through the first 40 minutes.

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said to Fox Sports West, “I didn’t really like the first two periods; we didn’t play anywhere near what we’re capable of. If you aren’t prepared to play 60 minutes, you’re not going to have success.”

Even with three power plays, the Ducks could barely muster five shots on Peter Budaj, who made his 17th straight appearance in net for the Kings.

The second period is when the Kings blew it wide open. The hot hand was with Jeff Carter who registered two goals and one assist in the game. The first goal of the period, at 2:15, went to Drew Doughty who took a pass at the blue line from Carter and had plenty of room and time to fake a shot, drag the puck back and then fire it top corner over Duck goalie John Gibson’s right shoulder. Gibson, screened out by Tyler Toffoli who had incidental contact with him, dropped his stick claiming interference and gave the palms-up “what is that about?” gesture. Answer: it’s about 1–0.

Said Doughty, through the LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen, “Just trying to find the lanes through to the net and decided to try to get it up this time rather than shoot it to the middle of the net, and it was a good screen.”

The next two goals came on power plays, and both to Carter, who registered his 600th point on his first goal of the period. On a rush at 12:21, Doughty pushed it forward to Toffoli who took it over the blue line before passing it Tanner Pearson on the left. Pearson found Carter rushing the net and fired a crossing pass so that both Carter and his tip-in ended up in the Ducks’ net.

The third goal at 13:35 came off a slapshot by Doughty. The shot deflected off Gibson over to Carter at the side of the slot. After hitting Carter in the chest, it landed at his skates where he tapped it in. Another slam-dunk. Make that career point 601.

Said Carter about his line, through the Insider, “I think we’ve started to get in a little bit of a groove. I think for us to have success we have to be skating, moving, keeping the puck going north. We can all move pretty good. When we do that we create a lot of opportunities.”

With four minutes left in second, the Ducks began to pick up the pace, but at the end of two they still trailed 3-0, having been outshot 26-13.

Then came the third. Pendulum swing time.

Said coach Darryl Sutter through the Insider, “I thought the building had a lot of energy. Usually when you play the night before, you’re going to come out like you finished your game the night before and that’s what we did. But you’re also going to know at some point the tank is going to start heading down – the needle’s going to go the other way with you a little bit, and that I think was evident.”

Towards the end of a lifeless Kings’ power play, where the Ducks in fact had the best scoring chance, Kyle Clifford took a roughing penalty. This is where the momentum shifted for good. During that four-on-four, at 3:34 the Ducks’ Hampus Lindholm slapshot was deflected in by Antoine Vermette.

And the hyperactive Ducks kept pressing, as if awakened after a long slumber. Even after a Ducks goal by Ryan Kesler was washed out, the Anaheim team kept up the intensity while the Kings looked flat-skated. With two seconds left in a Ducks’ power play at 8:36, some snazzy passing – between Lindholm, Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell – resulted in another goal, the latter getting his sixth goal of the season.

Though the Ducks came close on a number of chances – notably Josh Manson hitting the post with five minutes remaining, an amazing rescue save by Doughty, and then the final 1:53 with the Ducks on a power play – the period and game ended mercifully for the LA team, which skated out of town tied in the standings.

Said Doughty through the Insider, “You just have to keep going ahead. When you sit back and allow them to come at us and continue to chip pucks in and chip pucks out then they’re going to have the puck the whole time and create chances. We tried to reiterate before the period started just to keep on the press and keep control of the puck and play in their zone, and obviously we didn’t do that too well. But we’ll learn from this experience and get better.”

The Kings next play the New York Islanders at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 23 at the Staples Center.

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