Another lower-tier team faced, another stinging loss. Of late, the Kings have been adept at putting together incomplete performances that results in questionable losses. They beat the Anaheim Ducks, one of the league’s worst teams this year. They beat the Canadiens too, another lower tier team from the season prior.
However, after recent losses to San Jose (the worst team in the NHL last season) and Chicago, questions are being raised over the team’s willingness to compete for a full 60-minutes, particularly against teams the Kings are expected to earn two points from.
You can never put points in the bank in this league on an automatic basis, even if you were the Boston Bruins two seasons ago. Any team can win on any given night, against any given team. That is just how good the parity is in the league.
If the hope is to be competitive against the top tier NHL teams, being inconsistent against the lower end teams does not bode well. Here’s head coach Jim Hiller after yesterday’s loss:
“What I would say is this league is very hard and it’s very competitive from 1 to 32, you saw that. I mean, everybody was dumping on San Jose, they just won three games in a row. You know, it’s a good League, so I don’t really look at the opponent. Frankly, some guys are coming in hotter than other teams, but it’s a hard league, you have to play well to win and if you don’t, you put yourself in the danger zone”
The most prominent sore spot from the night before was the net front battle, which was lost to tie the game with 30 seconds left. The play was curated by a failed clearing attempt (one of many) and a quick bang-bang play in front of the net to tie the game.
The same issue was on full display in the first meeting against Vegas, where three goals were scored in front of the Kings net. After reviewing NHL Edge data, 15 out of the 19 High Danger Goals Against the Kings have allowed this year, were within 10 ft of the net.
#GoKingsGo net-front D an issue again tonight. Edmundson lacking either stamina, urgency or both led to the Foligno goal (totally non-threatening situation turns into a goal). Gavrikov a step and a half slow on the second equalizer (Bertuzzi). That’s what these guys get paid for.
— Andrew Knoll (@AndrewKnollNHL) November 2, 2024
The theme in the offseason was to get uncomfortable and grittier. The Kings brought in size and sandpaper yet have gotten fileted in front of their net this season. Game planning in pro sports has become a science, and a straightforward hypothesis exists to defeat the Kings.
The issue must be addressed soon, as the Kings will be on the road to face the Nashville Predators and the red-hot Minnesota Wild.
