LA Kings vs. Ducks: Get back to the basics.
This was an ugly game for the LA Kings; there is no other way to put it. Being flat for the first few minutes after a four-day layoff is understandable, but they never seemed to be able to shake off the rust all game.
As @alex_faust just said, Ducks have averaged 23.8 shots-per-game. They got 15 in the 1st period. #LAKings
— Rink Royalty (@RinkRoyalty) February 3, 2021
The Kings also had problems with breakouts and puck control all night long. This was exaggerated by the fact that for whatever reason, they just could not complete clean, tape to tape passes. Without being able to complete passes and breakouts, the Kings could not get any consistent offensive zone time (except the Kaliyev goal), which in the end doomed the team to defeat.
Any team can have a bad game once in a while – it happens to everybody. If the Kings are going to contend for a playoff spot this season, these kinds of games cannot become the norm.
As coach Todd Mclellan said in his post-game press conference, “we have 20 capable players capable of playing better than they did tonight”.