Dud: Adrian Kempe, W
For the first time this regular season for the Kings, winger Adrian Kempe is on the duds list after a win for LA this fall. Kempe didn't register any points for the first time in three games for the Kings tonight. The last time Kempe scored a goal for the Kings before this road trip was a couple of weeks ago in LA's 3-0 shutout win on home ice at Crypto Arena against the Winnipeg Jets.
Kempe did have some uncharacteristically undisciplined plays in the defensive zone for the Kings late in this game this evening in the third period against the Senators. He missed a coverage assignment against the Senators defender at the point near the blue line in the defensive zone with under 10 minutes to go in the third period that result in an Ottawa scoring chance against Forsberg.
He also had a confusing icing play where he forced the puck out of the defensive zone, keeping some tired Kings players on the ice in the third period when the team was only up by one on the scoreboard late in the game.
It's not so much that Kempe was performing poorly in this game tonight for the Kings in the 1-0 shutout win over the Senators. He didn't make an impact on the game in the way that Kings fans are used to on the road early this regular season.
Kempe had three shots on goal and just one scoring chance against Linus Ullmark and the Senators' defense tonight (per Natural Stat Trick). It was the first time in the past four games that Kempe didn't register a single high-danger scoring chance in the offensive zone for the Kings and Hiller.