A late third-period surge from the San Jose Sharks (21-18-3) doomed the Los Angeles Kings (18-14-10) to let some key points in the standings in the Pacific Division in the West slide by the wayside this week on home ice. A costly turnover by forward Adrian Kempe in overtime yesterday vs. San Jose wound up losing the game for the Kings and head coach Jim Hiller on home ice in the Pacific Division.
Two points from Joel Edmundson helps the Los Angeles Kings in the third period in an eventual overtime loss to San Jose
Hiller and the Kings were very shorthanded yesterday against the Sharks from San Jose due to various injuries and a designation for veteran forward Corey Perry. The Kings were missing forwards Anze Kopitar, Joel Armia, and Trevor Moore due to various injuries/illnesses yesterday on home ice.
The game started slow yesterday in the opening frame in the first period, with neither the Sharks nor the Kings getting a goal on the scoreboard until the game's second period. The floodgates opened starting in the middle of the second period in the middle frame yesterday.
A combination of special teams miscues and defensive and neutral-zone turnovers caused the Kings and Sharks to go back and forth on the scoreboard yesterday. The Kings held a 3-2 lead on the scoreboard late in the final frame in the third period in clutch time, thanks to a goal from Alex Laferriere.
Macklin Celebrini took advantage of some Sharks offensive pressure in the zone late in the game in the final frame in the third period, netting a goal to tie the game up on the scoreboard with under two minutes remaining in the third period.
A turnover in the neutral zone by Kempe led the an odd-man rush for the Sharks to score the game-winning goal in overtime yesterday, by a score of 4-3.
Here are three takeaways from the Kings' costly overtime 4-3 loss to the Sharks in the Pacific Division on home ice at Crypto Arena on Jan. 7.
Joel Edmundson spearheads a dramatic final five minutes for the Kings
In the third period in the final frame yesterday, it looked like the Kings had taken the lead back on the scoreboard in clutch time on a goal by defenseman Joel Edmundson. But the goal was called back due to a deflection off of Edmundson's glove in front of the net for the Kings in the final frame in the third period.
"It’s a unique situation. They said it went off his glove, it was gloved in. I said it’s one of two things. The puck was going in anyways, the puck was going in, until he got cross checked into the crease, which caused him to bump the puck off his glove. If he doesn’t get cross checked, the momentum the puck is taking it into the net. So, if you don’t want to call it goal, you better call it a cross check. It’s one of the two. I thought that was pretty easy."Jim Hiller
Shortly after the disallowed goal in the final frame in the third period yesterday, Edmundson and Laferriere did give the Kings the lead on the scoreboard in clutch time. Laferriere tipped in a shot on a goal set up by Edmundson and defenseman Cody Ceci in the third period.
Edmundson was close to registering an assist on every goal the Kings scored in regulation yesterday vs. the Sharks in the Pacific Division. Yesterday was the third time this regular season in the West that Edmundson registered a multi-assist and multi-point game.
Blown third period leads cost the Kings again
There were plenty of scoring chances and opportunities that Hiller and the Kings had to seal the win in the game yesterday in the Pacific Division in clutch time in the third period in the final frame in overtime. The Kings had over a half-dozen high and medium-danger scoring chances in the third period and in extra time yesterday in overtime vs. the Sharks (per Natural Stat Trick).
All of the fight and grit that the Kings showed in the final frame in the third period to take the lead on the scoreboard late in clutch time was crushed thanks to one untimely turnover and mistake in the neutral zone in overtime vs. San Jose yesterday.
Mistakes and untimely turnovers cause the Kings' demise in overtime
Late in the third period in the final frame, it looked like the Kings were going to walk away from a four-game homestand in the middle of this week with a three-game winning streak at Crypto.com Arena in the West in the Pacific Division. Celebrini came up with some late highlight-reel moves in a play that tied the game on the scoreboard in the final frame in the third period.
Yesterday was a crucial point to lose in the standings in the West in the Pacific Division in a multi-point swing that will impact the Kings this regular season.