In the final game before the holiday break for Christmas this week and in the final end of back-to-back games early this week on Tuesday night (Dec. 23), the Los Angeles Kings (15-12-9) faced the Seattle Kraken (15-14-6) in the Pacific Division in the West at home at Crypto.com Arena.

Despite a third-period goal from Andrei Kuzmenko, Los Angeles Kings suffer a tough one-goal loss to the Kraken in the Pacific Division early this week

Yesterday’s game in the back end of back-to-back games vs. the Kraken from Seattle was a great opportunity for head coach Jim Hiller and the Kings to get back on the right side of the win column in the standings in the West in the Pacific Division. The Kings did play better yesterday on home ice at Crypto Arena vs. the Kraken compared to the bad two-goal loss vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets this past Monday night (Dec. 22) in the front end of back-to-back games early this week.

But it didn’t matter when it was all said and done, as the Kings came up short of the Kraken yesterday by a score of 3-2 on the scoreboard.

The middle frame in the second period broke the game open for the Kraken on the scoreboard. Seattle scored the game’s first three goals in the middle frame yesterday, jumping out to a comfortable lead to set the tone vs. the Kings.

Hiller and the Kings did battle back on the scoreboard, scoring goals from winger Andrei Kuzmenko and Kevin Fiala late in the middle frame in the second period and in the final frame yesterday.

Late in the final frame in the third period, Fiala had a chance to tie the game on the scoreboard with under a minute left on the score clock vs. the Kraken yesterday, but the shot hit the crossbar. The Kings ultimately came up short of the Kraken, falling by one goal on the scoreboard in the final frame in the third period yesterday.

Here are three takeaways from the Kings’ demoralizing loss on home ice before the holiday break for Christmas at Crypto.com Arena by a score of 3-2 against the Kraken on Dec. 22.

Second period meltdown dooms the Kings

The game’s second period in the middle frame yesterday vs. Seattle is when the game started to get away from Hiller and the Kings on the ice and on the scoreboard in the back end of back-to-back games. Seattle got a couple of breaks late in the middle frame in the second period to build a comfortable lead on the scoreboard yesterday, including a goal that fluttered past Kings’ goalie Pheonix Copley on the glove side.

“What was disappointing was us not having hit the back of the net. I thought we had some really good looks up until that point, didn’t feel like that was a game we should’ve been down 3-0. If you said it was 1-0, that would’ve been disappointing, because for me we had enough looks to certainly get the first one and get the lead.”

Jim Hiller

The Kings got a big response late in the middle frame yesterday to get back in the game on the ice. Fiala scored a nice goal in front of the net to get the Kings back within two goals on the scoreboard.

That said, it turned out to be too little too late for the Kings. Seattle had already pulled ahead by too many goals on the scoreboard in the middle frame in the second period.

Andrei Kuzmenko scoring streak offensively

A late-game comeback effort in the third period in the final frame yesterday came up just short on the scoreboard for Hiller and the Kings. Kuzmenko registered a goal for the second game in a row on the stat sheet for the Kings.

He scored the game’s only goal for the Kings a couple of days ago this past Monday night in the two-goal loss to the Blue Jackets.

The game’s only goal in the final frame in the third period was scored by Kuzmenko in the middle of the final frame in clutch time yesterday. He used his speed to get past the Kraken defensemen and scored on a nice wraparound to get the Kings back within one goal on the scoreboard and give the team momentum at a necessary time in the final frame in the third period.

No momentum going into the holiday break for Christmas later this week for Hiller and the Kings

It felt like the Kings played better on the ice and had better stats on the stat sheet yesterday than the team had on Monday night in the front end of back-to-back games against the Blue Jackets on home ice. Despite the Kings playing better on the ice yesterday at Crypto Arena, it resulted in the same loss in the standings in the Pacific Division in the West vs. Seattle against the Kraken.

“The reality is that we have a break right now, so there’s nothing we should think about tomorrow, game or whatever. Just take a good break, enjoy with family and come with big energy back. Even if you win five in a row, or lose five in a row, it’s in the past. For us, I think we need to take the good things with us and the bad things we hopefully analyze and get better.”

Kevin Fiala

This team can’t catch much of a break. The Kings have suffered many one or two-goal losses in the West this regular season in this past couple of months. The struggles that the Kings offensively has translated to struggles in the standings in the West this fall for Hiller and LA in the past couple of months.