The Los Angeles Kings fell to the Colorado Avalanche in a shootout for their final preseason game. After drawing to a 2-2 tie, the game went into the shootout phase, and the Colorado Avalanche’s young star forward Nathan MacKinnon was only one of six shooters to score, leaving the final 3-2 Colorado.
The first period of the game was highlighted by physical play. With 5:24 left in the first period Kings defensemen Brayden McNabb took a penalty for interference. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick stood tall on the penalty kill holding off the Avalanche. With less than two-minutes left Colorado’s Ryan Wilson took an interference penalty, leaving the Kings with just under thirty-seconds on the powerplay to start the second period.
The Kings failed to score on the powerplay, but just over a minute later Kings forward Tyler Toffoli, the preseason MVP, scored on a redirect from a Tanner Pearson pass. Center Mike Richards brought the puck into the Avalanche zone, skating through the neutral zone after the Kings breakout. Richards curled back, looping away from his defender toward the blueline. Richards threw the puck toward the far side of the zone at Pearson. Pearson picked the puck up off a hard bounce against the boards and whipped it back across to the far side of the net, near the post and just above the goal line. That’s where Toffoli was waiting with his stick down to redirect the puck past Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov.
Puck Prose
Just over three-minutes later Toffoli struck again. Pearson stole the puck from Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog along the boards as Landeskog was attempting to pass the puck out of the zone. Pearson quickly fired a pass to Richards, who was hanging deep in the zone behind both Colorado defensemen. As both Colorado defensmen scrambled to get back into position and defend against Richards on the goal line, Richards quickly hit Toffoli on the tape as he skated into the slot. Toffoli fired a sniper shot top-shelf past Varlamov. 2-0 Kings.
It was Toffoli’s second goal of the game, and fourth of the preseaon, in five games played.
The Avalanche answered back with a goal by forward Dennis Everberg. Colorado star Matt Duchene who missed most of last season with an injury, snapped a shot off the post. The Kings were discombobulated, and a pass from Colorado’s Borna Rendulic put Everberg in position to shoot the puck past Quick. 2-1 Kings.
Kings forward Jarret Stoll took a penalty with 50 seconds left in the second period. After an unproductive powerplay the Avalanche cashed in an opportunity at even strength. Colorado came in on L.A. in an odd-man rush, three-on-two. The Kings defenders were able to break up the play, but after the puck had been poked away it came right to the area where Matt Duchene happened to be skating. Duchene flipped a quick shot past Quick to tie the game, 2-2.
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After Colorado tied the game they took a penalty; interference by Brad Stuart. The Kings took back the momentum after that but were not able to score on the man-advantage. Kings star defensemen Drew Doughty had a great scoring chance on a pass from Justin Williams, but wasn’t able to elevate the puck high enough to beat Varlamov.
After no goals scored during the overtime period, Nathan MacKinnon sealed the deal for Colorado in the shooout. MacKinnon’s shootout goal gave the Avalanche their first victory of the preseason, giving them a 1-5-2 record.
For Frozen Fury XVI in Vegas this was a good show. Fans got to see an extended game with the shootout.
Toffoli and Pearson continue to be a dominant force for the Kings. They generated the most scoring chances throughout the game. This was also the first full 60-minute game for Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. That’s a good sign for Kings fans that Quick has recovered from his offseason wrist surgery and will be good to go for the start of the regular season.
The Kings finish the preseason unbeaten at 5-0-2. The regular season starts at home in Staples Center, on October 8th against the San Jose Sharks. On opening night the Kings will raise their second Stanley Cup banner.
Sep 28, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Kings goaltender Mathieu Garon (29) makes a save against Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) as Kings defenseman Matt Greene (2) looks to clear the puck during an NHL preseason game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Colorado won the game 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports