On Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Kings (14-8-8) were just 26 seconds away from pulling out a comeback win over the Seattle Kraken (12-10-6) on the road. The Kings and head coach Jim Hiller played another close game that was decided by one goal on the scoreboard and/or in overtime early this regular season on Wednesday night vs. the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle in the middle of this week.
Third-period clutch goal from Kevin Fiala gets the Los Angeles Kings to overtime in a 3-2 loss to Seattle to round out a short road trip
Seattle scored a goal late in the final frame in the third period yesterday that tied up the game up on the scoreboard with just 26 seconds remaining in the game vs. the Kings. A power play goal on special teams from the Kraken ended the game a couple of minutes into the extra frame in overtime for Seattle.
Special teams on the power play played a decisive role in this game for the Kings and Kraken in Seattle yesterday night at Climate Pledge Arena. When the game went into overtime, costly issues with discipline gave the Kraken over a half-dozen power plays on special teams on the man advantage.
This game was pretty quiet on the ice and on the scoreboard in the game's first period in the opening frame yesterday night. In the middle frame in the second period, the Kraken opened up the scoring with a second-period goal by Jared McCann.
All five special teams goals were scored on the power play or the penalty kill unit yesterday for the Kings and then the Kraken. The Kings took a late lead in the final frame in the third period, on a nice move from forward Kevin Fiala with under five minutes remaining on the scoreboard yesterday.
Here are three takeaways from the Kings' shocking comeback overtime 3-2 loss to the Kraken on the road in Seattle on Dec. 10.
Costly penalty issues give the game away for the Kings
This was another game that cost the Kings a point in the standings in the Pacific Division in the West because of overtime issues on special teams on the power play. The team needs to have a much-improved power play top two units early this regular season to get more points in the standings in the West this fall.
"We cleaned that up and then that’s crept back in. You just obviously can’t do it. You can argue with some of the calls but the calls are made. That’s what I say, when you get those types of penalties, they’re 50/50 calls a lot of times, they can go either way, but if you put yourself in that position, then you’ve got to live with the results."Jim Hiller
Every goal the Kraken scored on special teams on the power play were with the 5-on-4 man advantage or on the top power play unit in overtime a few minutes in.
Adrian Kempe took a bad slashing penalty for the Kings at 4-on-4 in overtime in the extra frame. Vince Dunn scored the game-winning goal on the power play unit in overtime for the Kraken to get the 3-2 edge on the scoreboard and end the game yesterday.
Kevin Fiala stays hot offensively and on the stat sheet for the Kings
The Kings' quick two-game road trip in the West in the Pacific Division early this week yielded a few points in just a couple of games offensively for Fiala in the past few days. Fiala registered multiple assists and a third-period goal this week in the short road trip in the West.
Fiala and the Kings looked to be getting it done by executing and keeping the puck late in the game in the third period yesterday.
In the past three games in the West, Fiala has delivered late in games in clutch time for the Kings in the third period when the teams need it the most. Fiala scored the go-ahead goal at the time late in the final frame in the third period yesterday to go ahead on the scoreboard with just a few minutes remaining in the game vs. Seattle.
Late-game opportunity conversion and execution is a major issue
When Fiala registered the game's second goal for the Kings yesterday late in the final frame in the third period, it felt like the team had momentum on the ice and on the scoreboard in clutch time. The Kings now are in trouble in the league with the special teams woes on the penalty kill in the West this fall.
"No goals scored at 5-on-5, right? I thought both teams checked, neither are the most offensive teams, so that probably was on par for what we expected. Lots of penalties, both sides tonight, too many for us. That probably is the difference in the game."Hiller
The Kings keep losing valuable points in the standings in the West in the Pacific Division by blowing these leads late in games in clutch time.