The LA Kings continue to roll, picking up their fourth straight win, sweeping a three-game homestand, and keeping pace with the Vegas Golden Knights for the Pacific Division title. After dispatching the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues, the Kings edged Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Monday Night at Crypto.com Arena.
Even though the game was closer than fans would have wanted, with the teams tied at 2-2 a few minutes into the third period, LA eventually pulled away and sealed the deal with an empty netter to pick up their 81st and 82nd point on the season.
Although the team failed to keep Ovechkin from scoring his 816th goal, they did limit him to four shots and a minus-three rating for the night. So, without further delay, let’s discuss a few takeaways from the Kings’ win over the Capitals.
Kings’ Special Teams Could Turn Into Achilles Heel
The Kings had plenty of chances on the power play, getting five opportunities. However, they responded by taking a penalty every time they had the man advantage, which is a dangerous way to play the game. Instead of capitalizing on the power play, as Ovechkin did early in the third period, the Kings ended the game with four even-strength goals.
Of course, there is no need for concern since the team can score in any situation; however, they must stop taking penalties at the wrong times. Moreover, if the team plans on finding success in the games leading up to the playoffs, they need to stop taking these ill-advised infractions when given power play opportunities. Eventually, these moments may catch up to them.
Pheonix Copley Sets a New Kings’ Record
As sad as it may be to talk about Jonathan Quick in the past tense, fans who are still upset about the recent trade of a franchise icon may be missing out on a spectacular season from Pheonix Copley. Interestingly, Copley broke one of Quick’s team records by winning his 20th game of the campaign in just 29 contests.
Pheonix Copley stopped 20-of-22 shots tonight for his 20th win of the season, etching himself into @LAKings history. pic.twitter.com/n1KdGElH2H
— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) March 7, 2023
Although Copley is tied for 14th in the NHL in wins, he is one of just two goalies (other than Martin Jones) with that many wins and still has a sub-.900 save percentage. Even though he finished his most recent start by surrendering two goals and turning away 20 shots, he continues to give up a soft goal here and there. Consequently, those goals could end up being costly in win-or-go-home elimination games.
Adrian Kempe Becomes Fourth Swedish Player with 30 Goals
In 2021-22 Adrian Kempe set a career-high with 35 goals, and after collecting his 30th against the Capitals, he has a chance to shatter that number in the team’s final 17 games. Conversely, Kempe became the first Kings player to reach 30, which should motivate Anze Kopitar to tally a few more (five) to join his teammate at that plateau.
Thanks to his empty-net tally in the dying seconds, Kempe becomes the fourth Swedish player to score 30 goals this season, following William Nylander (33), Mika Zibanejad (32), and Elias Pettersson (30). Historically, Kempe has never been his country’s leading goal scorer and has a chance to claim the title if he continues to find the back of the net in the final days of the season.
LA Kings Take Care of Business Against Non-Playoff Teams
The Kings wrapped up a perfect three-game homestand by defeating three teams outside the playoff picture. Conversely, besides their upcoming game against the Colorado Avalanche, four of the next five contests will be against non-playoff teams, which include the Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, and Calgary Flames.
Ideally, the Kings would collect eight points against these opponents to keep pace with the Golden Knights atop the Pacific Division, who have some challenging games (Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes) on their schedule. However, as LA continues to get closer to the end of the regular season, some of their opponents will have nothing left to play for and will enjoy playing spoilers. Therefore, the Kings must stick to their game plan and not let anyone get the best of them. Obviously, a lot is on the line in the final 17 games.
Who’s next for the LA Kings?
The Kings will visit Denver on Thursday night to face off against the Avalanche (8:00 pm) before returning to Crypto.com Arena to kick off a seven-game homestand against the Predators on Saturday night.