The Los Angeles Kings were blanked by the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 in the first game of their long home stand.
It was a backup goaltender showdown. Jeff Zatkoff got the start for the Kings, while Jared Coreau was between the pipes for the Red Wings.
Detroit is reeling from the knee sprain that has afflicted Jimmy Howard. Among qualified goaltenders, Howard ranks 3rd in save percentage and 4th in GAA.
The Red Wings will try to get back into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt with a combination of Petr Mrazek and Coreau while Howard remains out for the next few weeks. Coreau’s performance tonight was especially promising for the team going forward.
The scratches for the Kings were the same as their last game: Tom Gilbert, Andy Andreoff, and Matt Greene. The only scratch for the Red Wings was Tomas Jurco.
The game didn’t get off to a great start for the Kings. On the very first shot on goal for the Red Wings, Thomas Vanek put the Red Wings ahead. Andreas Athanasiou and Frans Nielsen got the assists.
The Kings had a golden opportunity at 7:26 to even the game after Athanasiou was called for interference on a Tanner Pearson breakaway, resulting in a penalty shot. Pearson was turned aside by Coreau on the attempt.
More from Kings News
- LA Kings goaltending could be better than expected in 2023-24
- LA Kings should consider taking a chance on these 2 free agents
- 2 forwards listed as “movable pieces” by the Los Angeles Kings
- Checking in on the LA Kings players in the IIHF World Championship
- Los Angeles Kings: List of 2023 Restricted Free Agents Part. 1
Athanasiou continued to leave his mark on the game, scoring at 10:02 into the 1st. Anthony Mantha got the assist.
The Red Wings got their first power play opportunity after Drew Doughty was called for holding on Gustav Nyquist at 12:36 into the 1st. The Kings killed it off with just one shot on goal for the Red Wings.
Athanasiou collected his 3rd point of the period when he assisted on Vanek’s 2nd goal at 18:17 into the 1st. Jonathan Ericsson was credited with the other assist.
It was an explosive 1st period for the Red Wings, scoring 3 goals on 14 shots against Zatkoff. The Kings brought intensity, outhitting the Red Wings 16-5 in that opening period, but they found themselves in a deep hole.
The Kings remained tenacious in the 2nd period. Jeff Carter was called for high sticking on Alexey Marchenko, and a power play goal for the Red Wings probably would’ve put the game out of reach. The Kings successfully killed the penalty without allowing any shots.
The Kings outshot the Red Wings 13-2 in the 2nd period, but still trailed 3-0 heading into the final period. They were still registering more hits as well, but not making any progress on the scoreboard.
The game officially got out of reach in the 3rd period with Mantha’s goal at 7:33 into the period. Tomas Tatar and Nick Jensen got the assists.
The win was pretty much guaranteed for the Red Wings at that point. The next question was whether or not Coreau would hold onto the shutout.
Coreau achieved his shutout by saving all 34 shots against him. Detroit only got 22 shots on Zatfoff, but made the most of their chances.
The Kings didn’t go on the power play at all during the game, while the Red Wings went 0-2 on the man advantage.
The Kings outhit the Red Wings by a large margin of 30-16, yet that physicality didn’t translate into goals.
The Kings now have 6 more games at home during this stretch, and will next play on January 7 against the Minnesota Wild.
Next: Los Angeles Kings Get Solid Performance From Jake Muzzin
The Red Wings will look to carry this momentum onwards to the Bay Area when they play the San Jose Sharks on January 7.