3 takeaways from LA Kings road loss to the Devils

A big effort in the middle frame in the second period and in the third period on the ice and on the scoreboard on March 14 wasn't enough for the Los Angeles Kings (27-24-15) and center captain Anze Kopitar to defeat the New Jersey Devils (33-31-2) on the scoreboard on March 14 on the road.

Los Angeles Kings fall short of the Devils despite the historic milestone night for Anze Kopitar

Kopitar made history becoming the Kings' all-time leading scorer in franchise history, scoring a couple of goals offensively and helping the team tie the game up on the scoreboard at a key time in the final frame in the third period vs. New Jersey on the road in clutch time. The Kings and Kopitar ended up falling short of the Devils on the road this weekend on Saturday by a final score of 6-4 on the scoreboard.

New interim head coach DJ Smith and the Kings were down on the scoreboard and on the ice by multiple goals in the opening frame in the first period by a score of 2-0, after falling behind early in the game yesterday.

For the second time in as many games and in as many days early this weekend for the Kings and Smith, Kopitar made franchise history to pass legend Marcel Dionne for the record of the most career points scored, with 1,308.

The Kings ran out of energy and legs on the ice in the final frame in the third period in the back end of back-to-back games yesterday vs. New Jersey on the road this weekend.

Here are three takeaways from the Kings' 6-4 loss to the Devils on the road on March 14 in the back end of back-to-back games, despite getting a couple of goals from Kopitar on a record-breaking night in New Jersey.

Anze Kopitar makes history and becomes the all-time franchise leader in career points

After falling behind by multiple goals on the scoreboard in the opening frame in the first period yesterday on the ice, the Kings responded right away by getting down to work in the middle frame in the second period. Kopitar scored the goal on special teams on the power play on the 5-on-4 man advantage for the Kings to tie the franchise record for the most points all-time with Dionne yesterday.

The goal that Kopitar scored in the middle frame in the second period yesterday also helped the Kings build momentum on the ice to take the lead on the scoreboard for the first time later in the game yesterday on the road.

Later in the final frame in the third period, Kopitar gave the Kings one final push on the scoreboard to tie the game up 4-4, which was also the goal he scored that broke Dionne's record for the most points in franchise history.

"That’s outstanding. He’s been unbelievable and he continues to be one of our best players, every single night, right now. That’s very disappointing that we can’t get it across the line tonight "

DJ Smith on Anze Kopitar

Artemi Panarin lifting the Kings' offensively this regular season in the West

Continuing to build the momentum on the ice and on the scoreboard in the middle frame in the second period, Panarin scored the goal that tied the score at 2-2 for the Kings yesterday in New Jersey on the road. Panarin also nearly helped the Kings double the lead on the scoreboard in the middle frame in the second period, on an odd-man rush late in the period that hit the crossbar vs. New Jersey.

In this past five games in the West for the Kings in the Pacific Division, Panarin has scored multiple goals and over a half-dozen total points on the stat sheet for the team offensively. Panarin has also registered multiple points on the stat sheet for the Kings offensively in two of the past four games this past week on this road trip in the Eastern Conference this past week for the team.

Panarin and defenseman Brandt Clarke also registered the assists on the goal by Kopitar that set the franchise record for the Kings for all-time career points yesterday vs. New Jersey on the road.

More third period woes for the Kings

New Jersey came out of the locker room from the second intermission on the ice yesterday for the Devils red-hot offensively scoring the puck in the zone. The Devils were ready in the final frame in the third period yesterday to push back against the Kings offensively, scoring four goals in the game's final 20 minutes on the scoreboard for the two-goal win margin.

"I thought we came out pretty flat in the first, they were dictating the pace and everything. Then, in the second, we were the ones coming out and controlling the play. Then it flipped again in the third. Going into the third, being up by one, it’s obviously not ideal if you get scored on, on the first shift, so all bets are off after that. We came back, tied it up again, but eventually we couldn’t close it."

Anze Kopitar

The Kings did push back in the final frame in the third period in the game's final 10 minutes on the ice and on the scoreboard. Kopitar tied the game up on the scoreboard for the Kings and Smith in the final frame, scoring a goal to tie the game at four a piece in the third period for LA yesterday on the road.

That was the goal from Kopitar that made history for the Kings' franchise and saw the team's bench empty to celebrate the milestone career accomplishment all-time with the captain yesterday.

The Kings pushed to get another run on the scoreboard late in the final frame in the third period yesterday vs. New Jersey, but it was all for naught with the Devils scoring an empty-netter with just roughly a minute remaining on the score clock.