Coming into last night’s game versus Boston, the Kings hadn’t played since Tuesday. They had a day off and two practice days in between games. Wednesday was the off day. Thursday, I’d classify as a hard practice, lots of skating. Friday was shorter, less full-ice skating, more situational work.

TLDR, if you’ve already stopped reading 50 words in, is that the Kings had ample time in between games to make sure that the gas tanks were full.

The Bruins, on the other hand, have been in California all week, away from home. Like the Kings, they also played on Tuesday in San Jose, before traveling South. On Friday night, Boston played in Anaheim. They went down 2-0 in the first period, before crawling back with four unanswered goals, three in the third period. Certainly a comeback it looked like they put a lot into to get it done. Their top two blueliners played over 25 minutes and their top two forwards played over 20 minutes in that game.

TLDR – The Bruins have been the busier team.

Then came Saturday.

The Kings were the better team in the first period. They scored 31 seconds in and probably should have led by multiple goals after 20 minutes, but it was just the one. Okay, fine. Should have, but didn’t, still ahead with something to build on. I thought they played well. Second period, Boston scored early, Kings had a couple of strong penalty kills and more chances to be ahead. The numbers suggest the Bruins had more quantity, the Kings more quality in the second. Whoever should’ve been ahead, could’ve been ahead, whatever it is, it was a 1-1 game through 40 minutes.

Look at the two situations above. Which team would you think should have more in the tank in the third period? Physically speaking, you’d like to think that the Kings would be that team, for all of the factors listed above, especially when you add in that they are playing at home, desperate for a victory, as players and coaches have detailed. Everything would point to that.

Then you factor in that the Kings were winless through five games, playing at home. You’d expect that to be the hungrier team, the more desperate team.

And yet. The Kings gave up three unanswered goals in the third period, albeit two into the empty net. At 5-on-5, they were out attempted 20-13. Outshot 8-4. High-danger chances read 5-3 Bruins. There was a point in the third period when the Kings were +9 in attempts for the game and things finished in Boston’s favor.

Outnumbered is one thing. The most concerning part is what Alex Laferriere said. The Kings “work ethic” dropped off. Laferriere was not the problem in my opinion. I thought he was the best Kings player on the ice in his first game elevated in the lineup. But to get outworked as a group in that game, factoring in everything ok above, regardless of how good a team you are or how good the team you’re playing is, it’s just an awful combination. Doesn’t matter if you’re the best team in the league or the worst. When you see it all written down, compiled together, it’s just unacceptable, to use Mikey Anderson’s word.

The Kings have not shown themselves to be closer to the former as things stand. The only team in the league without a win, tied for the fewest number of points. They feel they can deliver better and seem to understand it has to come on this trip. But when you are the only team in the NHL not in the win column, there’s really not much to be said or understoof. It’s about doing and the Kings haven’t done to this point. I don’t think anyone is shying away from that.

Last season, Los Angeles hit the road right around this time, six games in, for a five-game trip. They carried a 1-3-2 record onto the plane with them and there was a feeling of a trip that could define the season in the wrong direction, if it went South. They wound up going 4-0-1, bringing home nine of a possible 10 points. I wouldn’t consider this trip to be season-defining. It honestly feels potentially larger than that. If this trip goes sideways, you wonder if it would be direction defining. It’s premature and assumptive to speak about things that haven’t actually happened. I don’t think anything really happens if the Kings travel East and steady the ship. Go 3-2 and the team will get more time. Better than that and they certainly will. But, the longer “0 and something” lingers, with a team filled with older players, the more you wonder what might be considered.

I remember having a conversation a few years ago with someone within the hockey community who I respect. I asked about why certain trades were made that didn’t make all that much sense to me, for teams in certain positions, spending assets and acquiring players that didn’t add up for me with my outlook on where that team was at.

He gave me a simple answer – “why stack the deck for the next guy?”

It put a lot of things into perspective. It wasn’t related at all to the Kings, but it makes you think.

What I think needs to be remembered, though, is how Ken Holland approached the trade deadline last season. Holland was measured and realistic and I felt he was also up front about that. Despite stated preseason expectations, Holland moved out more than he brought in at the deadline. He did enough to try and secure a playoff spot, which the Kings ultimately did, but he also acquired multiple second-round draft picks in exchange for veteran players, with the understanding that the Kings needed to add future assets. He identified that last season’s team was not a contender in that moment and operated as such.

That is why, with a team that is winless through six games, I don’t envision Holland making a trade that subtracts valuable future assets to try and salvage things by simply adding more veterans into the mix. Certainly not ones tied to the team’s current place in the standings. It would not align with how he operated last season, when he had an opportunity to act recklessly but he did not. We all see the rumors circulating externally. What Holland did last season should be taken into consideration. Adding say Connor Hellebuyck would be tricky even if the Kings were a high-scoring 6-0, in need of a stop. When it’s 0-4-2, it’s really uncomfortable to think about. Which is why, despite speculation, it doesn’t feel likely to me we see anything where Holland operates outside of the way he did last season.

Ultimately, team performance drives decision making in one direction or another. As I think it’s likely to with this trip. Five games beginning on Tuesday in DC.