Starting to come together, Pepper, starting to come together.
It feels like the Kings are starting to find their way.
Last night’s game really had no business going into overtime. The Kings dominated the game from just about start to finish. It felt like Toronto had three chances all night and scored on all three. I know they had a few more, couple important saves from Darcy Kuemper, William Nylander off the near-side post in the first, a goal-saving block from Drew Doughty early in the third period……but the Kings conceded very little all night. However, despite extended stretches of possession and pressure in the offensive zone, the Kings could have gotten frustrated, they could have pushed for something that wasn’t there, they could have deviated from the plan. For all of that, they never once led during play.
But they didn’t get frustrated.
They got their reward with around six minutes to play, tying the game, and ultimately won it in overtime, improving to 3-0-0 on the trip, 8-1-2 away from home overall and 9-5-4 on the season as a whole.
Over their last ten games, a stretch in which the Kings have gone 6-2-2, they rank second in the NHL in percentage of shot attempts controlled at 5-on-5 (56.6%), fourth in scoring chances (55.3%), fifth in shots on goal (55.3%) and sixth in high-danger chances (54.2%).
Those are Kings-esque numbers. Over the last three seasons in total, the Kings are a Top-8 team in the league in all four categories, including second in controlling shots on goal and fourth in controlling high-danger chances.
What’s been good to see too is that while the defensive numbers factor into that this season – only Utah and Montreal have allowed fewer shots on goal per game than the Kings in that span – the chances for are increasing as well. The Kings also rank third in high-danger chances per game, behind only Colorado and Columbus. Starting to look more like an LA Kings set of metrics.
Over the last four seasons, the Kings have established themselves as one of the NHL’s best 5-on-5 teams in terms of controlling the puck, the chances, the play. This season has been very up and down in that area, but after what was a pretty shaky start to the season, I think we’ve started to see this team settle in a bit. Of the eight highest shot attempt totals in the NHL this season, the Kings have had three of those games, including yesterday’s win over Toronto. They’re getting that volume-shooting mentality back and more importantly, they’re turning those shots into second and third chances, which are leading to goals.
Thought that was on full display yesterday in Toronto. There hasn’t been a bigger disparity in a game this season, by the numbers, than yesterday’s win over the Maple Leafs……and that’s not just for the Kings, that’s around the entire league. The Kings controlled 71.9 percent of shot attempts yesterday in Toronto, the largest share of the season in the NHL to date. Again, those are LA Kings kinds of numbers and it’s nice to start to see LA Kings kinds of numbers again.
They’ve matched what is starting to more consistently look like LA Kings play. When the eye test and the numbers start to tell the same story, you’ve likely got something more concrete. Consistency has been the enemy of the Kings for long stretches this season. Just hasn’t been there. In Montreal and Toronto, the Kings stacked consecutive 60-minute performances against teams that made the playoffs last season. In fact, eight of the nine games the Kings have won this season have come against teams that either made the playoffs last year or are currently in a playoff spot this season. It hasn’t been an easy road or a clean road. But perhaps, as the Kings trekked through the snow in Montreal, their own road is actually beginning to clear up.
Darcy Kuemper has won all three games on this trip and he’s quietly moved into the NHL’s Top-10 in goals-against average (sixth) and just outside of it in save percentage (11th) on the season, among at least eight games played.
On the blueline, after a disastrous opening three games, the third defensive pairing has been right around even since, while the Anderson/Doughty and Edmundson/Clarke pairings seem to be thriving, with the latter two especially taking a step forward. Edmundson and Clarke balance each other well and we’re seeing Clarke take a real step forward this season, with an additional minute of icetime per night and improved influence on the game. Edmundson continues to be a good partner and influence on him, while playing well himself.
Up front, the Fiala/Byfield/Laferriere line was on ice for its first goal of the season together in Pittsburgh. Then another one in Montreal. Another one last night in Toronto. That was the best line for the Kings down the stretch last season and they’re starting to gel at that level again after a frustrating and slow start. That’s great news.
Since Warren Foegele returned and has now gone back with Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore, that line is 20-11 in shot attempts, 7-2 in scoring chances and 4-0 in high-danger chances, with Foegele scoring in last night’s win over Toronto. Again, that line was really good last year but they struggled out of the gates this year. It’s nice to see them start to look a bit more like themselves again. The production has to follow, but they’ve been better.
There are still some things that are a work in progress. Andrei Kuzmenko’s fit with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe hasn’t been what it was last season. Hoping a short reset for Kuzmenko can clear the head a bit, calm things down and allow him to start playing as freely as he did last season. Sometimes a short spell out can help there and that’s the hope with Kuzmenko. Kopitar is coming off a stretch with points in five of six games, while Kempe leads the team in scoring and he’s over a point-per-game pace. Some good individual moments for that line, but they haven’t done much together. Their goals together, per/60, are half of last season’s impressive start. I believe that on the current roster, Kuzmenko is the best match for that line when he’s on his game, especially if the other two lines continue to trend positively. Might not be tomorrow, but hopefully down the road.
Kings on the ice in Ottawa a bit later in the day. Likely the last practice of the trip, with rest prioritized in Washington, so last chance to work on a couple things in their game before matchups with the Senators and Capitals. Practice report to follow later in the day!