3 takeaways from the LA Kings OT loss to Boston

After another third-period rally in clutch time that pushed the game to overtime, the Los Angeles Kings (10-6-6) and Jim Hiller gathered one point in the standings in the West against the Boston Bruins (13-10-0). In the back end of back-to-back games on Friday night (Nov. 21), the Kings left Crypto.com Arena with one point in the standings, but suffered a third straight one-goal loss vs. Boston.

Joel Armia's shorthanded goal gets the Los Angeles Kings one point in an overtime loss to Boston on Friday at home

There wasn't much action on either end of the ice for the Bruins or the Kings in the game's first two periods. The game was goalless on the scoreboard for the first 40 minutes yesterday. Despite having multiple opportunities on the power play on special teams in the game's first two periods, the Kings couldn't get anything past the Bruins' defense and netminder in goal.

The scoring got started in the final frame in the third period, on a clapper from the Bruins' leading goal scorer, forward Morgan Geekie. That was the first goal the Bruins scored against Darcy Kuemper, who had stopped over 15 shots in a row before Geekie got Boston on the scoreboard in the third period.

For the second game in a row, forward Joel Armia got a shorthanded goal on the scoreboard for the Kings on special teams. Armia put home a rebound in front of the net in front of Jeremy Swayman on an odd-man rush started by winger Trevor Moore in the offensive zone yesterday.

Armia's third-period shorthanded goal pushed the game to overtime. But Geekie scored the goal in overtime to end the game and hand the Kings a second straight loss in overtime or a shootout after LA fell to the San Jose Sharks on the road on Nov. 20.

Here are three takeaways from the Kings' 2-1 overtime loss to the Bruins in the back end of back-to-back games at home at Crypto Arena on Nov. 21.

Overtime struggles continue

Hiller and the Kings have really struggled to put together complete efforts on both sides of the ice in overtime in 3-on-3 hockey early this regular season. In back-to-back games late this week and this weekend, the Kings lost to the Bruins and Sharks in about the same fashion.

The Kings came back in the third period in clutch time in both games in the final 10 minutes on the scoreboard in the final frame, and then lost the battle in overtime or the shootout in San Jose a couple of days ago. In the regular season's first 22 games, the Kings have gone to overtime or a shootout a double-digit number of times this fall. And they've only come away with two points in four of those 10 games that went into overtime or a shootout this season in the West.

I think some of the blame for these two losses against the Bruins and Sharks in overtime or a shootout can fall on the long travel and the back-to-back games with a busy schedule this fall.

Since the start of the 2023-24 season, the Kings have the third worst overtime win percentage in 3-on-3 overtime in the league (per Stathead).

Until the Kings can find that extra gear in overtime and the shootout, this team will continue to miss opportunities to pick up the valuable two points in the standings in the Pacific Division this fall.

Offense still isn't converting on opportunities on special teams

The power play struggles on special teams were brutal for the Kings and Hiller in the past couple of games in the back-to-back losses against the Sharks in San Jose and Boston. The Kings are 0-for-9 on the power play, including a missed opportunity yesterday on the 5-on-3 for over a minute against the Bruins when the game was still tied on the scoreboard at 0-0.

"We’re getting chances. Last night, we got some good chances, tonight we got some good chances, so just keep on battling, keep on going. Maybe try and simplify a little bit, try to get more stuff to the net and create off of that, and just work at it."

Anze Kopitar

Kings fans have been complaining about the five-forward power play unit on special teams for the past couple of months this fall early in the regular season. Yesterday, the Bruins got multiple odd-man rushes against the five-forward power play unit for the Kings.

It should be time for the Kings to give defenseman Brandt Clarke a chance to run the top power play unit at the point this regular season.

The Kings are one of just a single-digit number of teams in the league in the NHL this regular season that only have twice as many power play goals on special teams compared to the number of shorthanded goals the team has this fall.

Armia scored the Kings' only goals on special teams shorthanded in the past two games in the back-to-backs when the team was at 5-on-4.

Darcy Kuemper needs help

Last night, I think Kuemper played well enough for the Kings to come away with two points in the standings against Boston at Crypto Arena. He stopped all seven high-danger scoring chances he faced in regulation yesterday (per Natural Stat Trick).

In Kuemper's past two starts for the Kings in the East this past week for Hiller and Co., he's only allowed two three goals in regulation. The Kings have only given him two goals in regulation for goal support on the scoreboard.

Early this regular season, Kuemper ranks sixth in the league in the NHL in goals saved above expected (per Money Puck).