In the first game since the calendar turned to the month of December, the Los Angeles Kings (12-7-7) dropped a game on home ice at Crypto.com Arena against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (16-9-2). The Kings kept things close on the scoreboard late in the game in the third period on Tuesday night (Dec. 2) against the Caps after a nice goal from Adrian Kempe.
Lineup adjustments can't save Jim Hiller and the Los Angeles Kings in a 3-1 loss to the Capitals at home
But the Caps converted on a mistake or two from the Kings, including a breakaway coming out of the penalty box yesterday. The Capitals converted on more opportunities when it mattered in the game yesterday than the Kings. The Kings had more scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances compared to Washington at home yesterday.
It was the second time in as many months that Kempe and the Kings fell to the Capitals from the Eastern Conference early this regular season.
The Capitals swept the regular season series this fall against the Kings.
Darcy Kuemper played well as the starting goalie for the Kings yesterday against the Capitals. Both the goals the Caps scored were around the net, either on odd-man rushes/breakaways, or high-danger scoring chances for Washington.
Here are three takeaways from the Kings' 3-1 loss on home ice at Crypto.com Arena against the Capitals on Dec. 2.
Power play struggles persist despite personnel changes
The big change in this game for the Kings on special teams on the power play was moving defenseman Brandt Clarke to the top power play unit yesterday vs. the Capitals. I thought this was a mostly positive result for the Kings and Clarke on the top power play unit on special teams in this game against the Capitals.
"He was good. I mean, this is something we didn’t see last year, right? The play made on Beauvillier for the first goal was something that wasn’t in his game last year, and so we’ve talked about it quite a bit, he’s bigger, he’s stronger, he’s more aggressive, he can knock people off the puck like he did. It’s an excellent defensive play, excellent."Jim Hiller on Brandt Clarke
That said, the changes to move Clarke on the blue line on the top power play unit on special teams and defenseman Brian Dumoulin to the second power play unit didn't produce any results offensively in the net yesterday. In the past two games on home ice at Crypto Arena, the Kings are a combined 0-for-6 on the power play against the Capitals and Vancouver Canucks from the West.
It's also noteworthy that the Kings allowed the eventual game-tying goal in the game's first period in the opening frame on special teams on the penalty kill at 5-on-4.
Jim Hiller doesn't have the pieces to succeed offensively
In the game's first two periods yesterday against the Capitals, I didn't think that the Kings were aggressive enough offensively around the net in front of Washington goalie Logan Thompson. The Kings only produced six high-danger scoring chances and barely reached double-digit scoring chances in the game's first 30 minutes in the first and second periods vs. the Caps (per Natural Stat Trick).
Despite the Kings getting more scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances around the net in clutch time in the game's third period yesterday, it only resulted in one goal from Kempe in the second period.
Offense is difficult to come by for Hiller and the Kings early this regular season. If you take out Kempe's two goals in the past couple of games at Crypto.com Arena for Hiller and the Kings, this team only has one regulation goal in the past 120 minutes of game time this past week.
Kings living on the edge late in games in clutch time
No team in the league in the NHL has played more one-goal games in the third period and in overtime early this regular season than the Kings in the West. The Kings have played in over 30 games that were either decided by one goal in the third period or in overtime or the shootout early this regular season this fall.
The Kings have only scored one goal in regulation in three of the past five games on home ice in late November and early December this month.
"It’s frustrating when it doesn’t go your way, but I think that it’s a long season and it’s going to show the resilience of our team. It seems like every night we have a close game going into the third period. I think it’s really good building blocks for our team and it’s a long season, and we’re going to need those to be wins at the end of the year. I think for us, it’s just about staying positive."Alex Laferriere
If the Kings can find more offensive success around the net in the West early this regular season, it could be the key to unlocking more late-game momentum on the scoreboard for this team.