Head coach Jim Hiller and the Los Angeles Kings (1-3-1) couldn't hang onto a multi-goal 2-0 lead that the team built in the first period against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins (3-2-0) on Thursday night (Oct. 16).
A two-goal first period lead isn't enough for Jim Hiller and the Los Angeles Kings to get back on the right side of the win column vs. the Penguins
This is the second game in a row that Hiller and the Kings have lost at home at Crypto.com Arena early this regular season this fall.
Hiller spoke to the media after the game to discuss the Kings' adjustments, ways to improve, and more yesterday after the defeat against the Penguins at home.
The Kings and Hiller have lost three games in a row, including the two-goal defeat against the Penguins at home on Thursday night. LA rounds out this two-game homestand against Eastern Conference opponents from the Metropolitan Division at Crypto Arena on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes and Rod Brind'Amour.
Here's a look at everything Hiller said to the media postgame following the Kings' 4-2 loss to the Penguins at home at Crypto Arena on Oct. 16.
Jim Hiller
On where the Kings can improve
"You look at the result and it’s zero points and that sucks. If you look at the game as a whole and you say, got to finish better, that’s just going to practice and trying to stay sharp, that’s one, but it’s hard to manufacture that. Their goalie played excellent and that was the difference in the game. We’re not going to try to dissect too much here. We haven’t given up a lot over the last three or four games, so we’re just going to try to pull ourselves out of it. We’re in a hole and we’re in a funk."
On adjustments made to the forward lines with Anze Kopitar out
"I think the one thing is Phil’s line hadn’t been going great yet, so we just wanted to give that maybe a different look. We contemplated putting Turc right with Kuzy and Juice but we just thought maybe that other needed line needed a different look as well. So that’s kind of what the thought was to go behind that."
On this game compared to the other Kings' losses this fall
"We brought our penalties down, let’s say that, but then we still gave one up, so that’s obviously a theme. We haven’t won the special teams battle yet this season. That’s an important part of any hockey game, it’s the special teams battle. Hard to win if you don’t win the special teams battle, so that that’s the one. We could have scored a power play goal, we had our opportunities there and then we gave one up. If you can point to one area, that’s the area you’re going to point to."
On the Kings' missed scoring chances last night
"You’ve just got to find a way to put it in the back of the net and again, give the goalie credit. Three posts, we beat him on those, so three posts and then some really good saves by him where we had what we like to call him Grade-A’s when you’re kind of that tight with the goaltender, and he beat us. Even Laf at the end on the shorthanded had a good look right from in tight and the goaltender made the save."
On how the Kings' power play is looking right now
"Tonight was probably our worst night of entering the zone and getting control, you saw that particularly on the one in the third period, where really, that’s a time when you’ve got a chance to get yourself back in and win the hockey game and we didn’t get that done, so that was really disappointing. Now, I take it back to Minnesota in the third period and we scored the big goal that we had to score. It goes up and down but I didn’t think our power play tonight was very sharp."
On Anze Kopitar's injury status
"We’re going to take a closer look at it still probably in the morning and then maybe we might have a better update for you tomorrow. We’re still kind of evaluating where it’s at."