LA Kings vs. Ducks: Three takeaways and standouts in 3-1 loss
LA Kings vs. Ducks: The kids are all right.
While Kale Clague had a tough night and having half of the defense corps possibly filled by rookies may not be a great idea, the kids also provided some of the few bright spots on Tuesday night.
Cal Petersen has been dubbed the LA Kings “goalie of the future,” and in this game, he showed why. He was under siege for most of the night, and despite facing numerous high danger chances, Petersen only yielded two goals (the third was an empty netter).
Petersen and Jonathon Quick are in an almost even split right now as far as starts go, but if Petersen keeps this up, the Kings goaltending playing time may very well tip in his favor.
A discussion about the kids tonight cannot be complete without mentioning the Arty Party! Highly touted prospect Arthur Kaliyev made his NHL debut and, in the process, scored his first NHL goal. In the third period, coach McLellan put together a line combination of Grundstrom-Vilardi-Kaliyev, which in their short time together were noticeable on the ice.
Kaliyev can play six more games for the Kings before they have to make a decision on using the first year of his entry-level contract or not.
Many Kings fans (including me) have been advocating for him to be with the Kings full time, and he can play like he did tonight. It might just be time for management to give the people what they want.
Next. Brown’s comments about Lias Andersson will excite fans. dark
LA Kings Schedule
The Kings will have Wednesday and Thursday off between starting a weekend series with the Vegas Golden Knights.