It was a decent game on the ice and on the scoreboard in clutch time in the final frame in the third period for the Los Angeles Kings (28-25-17) and new interim head coach DJ Smith, but it didn't give the team the result they were looking for in the win column over the weekend on Sunday (March 22) vs. the Utah Mammoth (37-28-6) on home ice.
Artemi Panarin and the Los Angeles Kings fall on home ice vs. Utah in overtime on Sunday last weekend
The Kings looked like the better team on the ice and on the stat sheet yesterday on home ice at Crypto.com Arena against a Mammoth team that LA had never lost to in the regular season in the West in four games this past year or so.
Late in the opening frame in the first period and in the middle frame in the second period, the Kings outplayed, outshot, and out-chanced, the Mammoth on the ice yesterday over the weekend. But untimely defensive-zone turnovers and bad mistakes at costly times of the game on the ice cost the Kings on the scoreboard when it was all said and done on the ice yesterday.
Here are the takeaways from the Kings' all-too-familiar 4-3 overtime loss in extra time in the back end of back-to-back games on the road on March 22 vs. the Mammoth in Utah.
Artemi Panarin carrying the team down the stretch this regular season
Late in the final frame in the third period in clutch time yesterday, forward Artemi Panarin tied the game up on the scoreboard late in the game for the Kings, at 3-3. The Kings needed a boost on the ice and on the scoreboard late in the game in the final frame in the third period yesterday, and Panarin delivered when it mattered most for the team.
The Kings' team needs more secondary scoring support offensively in the zone beside Panarin to start winning games and getting more valuable points in the standings in the West in the Pacific Division this regular season.
Panarin has registered at least one power play goal on special teams on the 5-on-4 man advantage or clutch goal on the stat sheet in the final frame in the third period in clutch time in this past three straight games in the West for the Kings this past week.
"I think we battled our way back. I thought we had a great second period. Third, not much going on, Bread gets a big one there late. It just seems like we can’t get over that hump of getting the next one. So, we get a big point, obviously need two and with a team we’re trying to chase here, but we’ve got to come out strong the rest of the trip, pick up four points and keep going."Scott Laughton
I think the mistakes the Kings made were largely covered up by the goal that Panarin got on the scoreboard in clutch time late in the final frame in the third period for the Kings yesterday on home ice vs. the Mammoth over the weekend.
Alex Laferriere-Quinton Byfield-Trevor Moore line coming together chemistry-wise
I thought for most of the overtime period in the extra frame on the ice yesterday, the Kings were the better team offensively in the zone. The Kings had more high and medium-danger scoring chances in clutch time late in the final frame in the third period vs. the Mammoth and in the extra frame in overtime yesterday (per Natural Stat Trick).
The most positive takeaway from this game on the ice and on the scoreboard yesterday for the Kings was how the team came up big in clutch moments in the middle frame in the second period and in the final frame in clutch time.
"They’re able to play against your top line, but they’re also able to make you play defense and those guys were flying tonight. I thought that’s as good as Q has played as well, he looked dangerous all over the ice. We need that. I think Kopi, Bread and Juice are top-end players in this league. Then, you got those three young guys coming, Q, Laf and Mooresie, they were dangerous everywhere tonight. I think also the Laughton line, I thought they played a playoff style game. They put it in, they worked, they changed. They did a lot of things that maybe don’t get noticed, but winning hockey."DJ Smith
The Kings got big goals on the scoreboard in the game's first 40 minutes on the ice from forwards Alex Laferriere and Quinton Byfield. Laferriere nearly won the game on the scoreboard for the Kings in the extra frame in overtime yesterday, ringing the post on a shot where he beat Mammoth goalie Karel Vejmelka in front of the net offensively.
Byfield also played a tremendous game on the ice and on the stat sheet yesterday vs. the Mammoth on home ice over the weekend. He played a complete two-way game, and came up with an important goal to give the Kings some momentum on the scoreboard yesterday, tying things up in the opening frame in the first period for the team roughly 10 minutes into the game.