The Los Angeles Kings would end up securing their fourth straight win on Thursday night with a 3-0 win over the Washington Capitals. Darcy Kuemper would get his third shutout of the season, which probably meant a little more being against his former team, but for the Kings was it a complete team performance.
There was also plenty to like from the Kings' offense as they would score three goals, starting early with Warren Foegele scoring his 18th goal of the season in the first period. After a scoreless second, Kevin Fiala would score his team-leading ninth power play goal. The final goal of the night was by Quinton Byfield, who now has scored a goal in five straight games.
Kings defensive performance was the biggest takeaway from the game against the Capitals
There is no question that it was a collective team effort but the defensive performance was what really stands out from the game against the Capitals. This Washington team entered the game as the highest scoring team in the NHL with an average goals scored over 3.6.
The scoring is led by Alex Ovechkin, who is chasing Wayne Gretzky and the all-time goal record, with 33 goals. However, on Thursday night, Ovechkin didn't register a single shot on goal and is only the second time all season that has happened. The first time was all the way back on Opening Night of the 2024-25 season.
It is a rather impressive stat when considering the Capitals should have had their chances. The Capitals had five power play opportunities and Ovechkin had over eight minutes of ice time with the man advantage but was essentially a non-factor all night.
While penalties has started to become an issue for the Kings as they have now been short-handed on 13 occassions in just the past two games, the penalty kill has been exceptional as neither the Capitals or Islanders have been able to capitalize on it. It is a trend that they don't want to continue but for now it hasn't been an issue.
For most of the season, the defense has been the strength of this Los Angeles Kings team and that once again was one full display against the Washington Capitals. They will need to continue to have these types of performances as they hope to secure home ice in the playoffs.