Interim head coach DJ Smith and the Los Angeles Kings' staff didn't extend their postseason in the West in the Pacific Division this past weekend on Sunday afternoon (April 26) on home ice in Game 4 of the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring late this month in late April vs. the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avalanche jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on the scoreboard yesterday in the opening frame in the first period. LA fought back in the middle frame in the second period yesterday on the blue line on defense, on a goal by defenseman Joel Edmundson in the middle of the game vs. Colorado this past weekend.
Smith and the Kings' coaching staff tried to make adjustments offensively in the zone to the active roster lineup with the forward lines core group up front in the middle frame in the second period.
After the Kings allowed a couple of goals on the scoreboard to see the Avalanche lead balloon to three goals in terms fo the scoring margin offensively in the final frame in the third period, the game was effectively over in the postseason in the playoffs.
Colorado scored the game's final three goals on the scoreboard in the final frame in the third period yesterday on the ice to take a commanding 5-1 lead late in the game.
Here are the takeaways from the Kings' convincing 5-1 loss in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to end the season for LA on home ice at Crypto.com Arena on April 26.
Anze Kopitar's career ends after the sweep in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Early in the middle frame in the second period yesterday offensively, the Kings made the change to the core forward lines group up front in the zone to put center captain Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe on a line pairing for the active roster lineup with Alex Laferriere. Kempe finished up with a primary assist on the stat sheet in the postseason in the playoffs yesterday offensively for the Kings.
Kempe and Laferriere registered the game's two assists offensively in the zone for the Kings on the goal scored on the blue line on defense by Edmundson in the middle frame in the second period yesterday. Edmundson scored the game's lone goal on the scoreboard in the middle frame in the second period yesterday for the Kings offensively.
It felt like the Kings needed to do something to generate more offense, scoring the puck in the zone this postseason in the playoffs this past weekend on Sunday afternoon.
This was a disappointing end to the postseason in the playoffs in the career in the league for Kopitar with the Kings late this month.
Kings needed more offense from the bottom-six forward lines group core offensively this postseason in the playoffs vs. Colorado on the ice
The Kings got a spark offensively in the zone in the middle frame in the second period, scoring the puck to get back in the game yesterday on the scoreboard in the West. Adrian Kempe and Kopitar offensively were helping the Kings on the ice and in the zone get scoring chances in front of the net against Colorado's Scott Wedgewood.
There wasn't much puck luck in the zone offensively, scoring the puck that the Kings got in the postseason in the playoffs in this past week vs. Colorado in the West. Given that the Kings didn't play consistently on the blue line on defense this postseason in the playoffs in the West, it was difficult for LA to compete on the scoreboard against the President's Trophy winners from Colorado in this past week.
Different postseason, same result in the West for the Kings
It has been the same result in the postseason in the playoffs in the West in the Pacific Division in this past decade for the Kings since the mid-2010s decade. In this past decade since the mid-2010s, the Kings have consistently had regular season success in the West in the Pacific Division, but it's paramount for Smith and the coaching staff to find success in the postseason in the playoffs.
I don't necessarily think that this result in the postseason in the playoffs in the West for the Kings and Smith against the Avalanche from Colorado in this past couple of weeks this month in mid-to-late April. I still think this was a pretty good effort on the ice and on the blue line on defense for Smith and the Kings' coaching staff in the series' first two games this past week in the West.
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