Some notes from last night’s game…
– The Kings were on the wrong end of a back-to-back sweep, as they fell to the Philadelphia Flyers 7-4 on Thursday night at Staples Center, one night after a loss at Phoenix.
– The Kings allowed a season-worst seven goals. They had allowed six goals three times this season, most recently the previous night at Phoenix. The Kings have not allowed eight goals in a game since an 8-6 loss to Boston on Oct. 12, 2007.
– In the Phoenix and Philadelphia games, the Kings allowed a combined total of 13 goals. The last time the Kings allowed 13 goals in two games was Jan. 5 and 8, 2008, against Calgary (a 6-4 loss) and Nashville (a 7-0 loss). The last time the Kings allowed more than 14 goals in two games was Jan. 14 and 17, 2006, against Buffalo (a 10-1 loss) and Tampa Bay (a 4-1 loss).
– Before the losses to Phoenix and Philadelphia, the Kings had allowed a total of three goals in their previous two games, including two shutouts.
– Jonathan Bernier was pulled in the second period after allowing six goals on 22 shots. The night before, Bernier came on in relief in the second period after Phoenix scored six goals on 24 shots against Jonathan Quick. Against the Flyers, Bernier stopped 16 of 22 shots. He had stopped 60 of 62 shots, combined, in his previous three appearances. Quick stopped 5 of 6 shots against the Flyers.
– The Kings went 2-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-5 on the penalty kill. It was the fifth time this season, in 37 games, that the Kings scored two power-play goals. It was the sixth time this season that the Kings allowed two power-play goals. They also allowed Phoenix to score twice on the power play Wednesday. Entering the game, the Flyers had not scored two power-play goals in a game since Nov. 13, a span of 20 games.
– The Kings fell to 13-3-1 at home, 17-4-0 when scoring the first goal and 1-7-1 when trailing after the second period.
– The Kings started the season with a 6-2-0 record against Eastern Conference teams, but are now 1-3-0 in their last four games against East teams.
– The Kings outshot the Flyers 36-28, matching the second-highest shot total of the season.
– Ryan Smyth had two goals, including a power-play goal. Smyth now has three goals in his last two games and seven goals in his last 11 games. Five of those seven goals have come on the power play.
– Jack Johnson had a power-play goal. Johnson now has a six-game point streak (two goals, five assists) and three of his four goals this season have come on the power play.
– Justin Williams had one goal, and now has four goals in his last six games.
– Drew Doughty had two assists, including one on the power play. Doughty now has one goal and 12 assists in his last 10 games, including four multi-point games. Five of those 12 assists have come on the power play.
– Jarret Stoll had two assists, including one on the power play, to break a four-game streak without a point.
– Anze Kopitar had one assist. In 14 games in December, Kopitar totaled seven goals and 13 assists.
– Rob Scuderi had one assist. Scuderi now has nine assists in 37 games this season. He had 11 assists in 73 games last season, and his career high for assists is 15, with Pittsburgh in 2008-09.
– Jarret Stoll was credited with a game-high six shots on goal. Dustin Brown was credited with seven hits and Drew Doughty was credited with three blocked shots.
– Drew Doughty played a game-high 28 minutes, 29 seconds. Anze Kopitar led all Kings forwards in ice time at 23:34.
– The Kings won 37 of 68 faceoffs (54 percent). Anze Kopitar won 14 of 23 draws (61 percent).
Two sad games to watch in a row. Westie and Clifford getting a game misconduct each was embarrassing. Someone should have run/clocked Richards. Zero forechecking. At least the first 10 minutes of the 1st period was watchable….
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San Diego Kings Fan Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 12:51 pm
@Rookie, I was @ the game,and did not understand why two of them got game misconducts.GO KINGS GO
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Hope Mitchell gets better soon. Seems like the shellacking of the Sharks went to their head a bit. It’ll be interesting to see how they come out against them tomorrow. Is a meltdown a brewin? Hope not. One thing is certain. They have to let in less than 6 or 7 goals if they want to win.
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kopitar winning 61% makes no sense to me – lost every critical faceoff on PP and PK
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We’ve all watched this team play and what we saw the last two nights were just a ridiculous amount of mental mistakes. I can’t remember that many grade A shots, 2 on 1′s and empty net goals over a two game stretch since TM took over. When you play like that against King killers like the Yotes and Flyers you are always going to get smoked.
Yes, it was back to back and the Kings might be a little fatigued. Is it just me, but every time this team gets on a roll, they seem to lay some giant eggs. They don’t just lose 3-2 or something like that, they usually get slaughtered or lose 4 or 5 in a row. I’m starting to wonder if that is just youth and inexperience or do I dare say poor coaching. I love the job and have much respect for TM, but I’m starting to think its coaching and preparation.
Sharks will be hungry for revenge Saturday and Chicago Monday a team we can’t seem to beat…Kings better be ready or it might be unbearable to watch.
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wavesinair Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 10:52 am
Stepping back, looking at the big picture, it seems to me we are watching a team deep in transition. One eye looking to the future, one eye looking at the past. Consistency is the hardest thing to master for a young team.
There will come a day, and maybe soon, where the coach may need to pass the baton. But TM knows all the possible outcomes so I’m sure he’ll be doing everything he can to shepherd this team into a bright future and not let it slip back into it’s losing past.
I hardly think he’s lost the team as of yet. But there is a sense that the team wasn’t ready the past 2 nights. I really put that on the veterans. With Mitchell out, I think it shows. These are the situations where I think Brown doesn’t quite have the leadership skills to right the ship. It’s a learning process too, I know.
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Shots on goal were a little skewed because they were playing ketchup hockey. Stolls getting better with hitting the net. JJ got caught pinching when a guy was coming out of the box, but straitened out his positioning after that. The added offense is welcome. Can we please get something worked out with Williams contract soon?
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wavesinair Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 10:53 am
Ketchup hockey. Ha! There will be some serious ketchup hockey tomorrow at Heinz field! Go Steelers! Wait…
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the sky is NOT falling people! 2 stinkers, DD2 sliding across the ice on his belly was embaressing (when trying to block the shot on Richards 2nd, the 4th for PHI). then on the next goal, Carter’s goal on the 5 on 3, Greene was literally standing there, only reaching his stick out to Richards down low, like his feet were stuck in cement. i get you cant leave your post on a 5 on 3, but you have to make plays, or force them to make plays. give a guy like Richards or a team like PHI that kind of time, they will disect you. it was SO bad!
that being said, i trust Quick to come back. a couple times this year, the team was not itself for the whole 60, but quick put the team in positions to steal some points. i look forward to the homestand to help figure this out.
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i don’t think the kings were horrible last night under the circumstances. they played like a tired team on defense where being tired really hurts you. obviously the goaltending has been sub-par for the last two games–i see that as the biggest reason for losing. i am happy to see the kings showing they can score…sturm will be a huge boon to this offense if he can stay healthy….
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Dominick Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 11:09 am
@rontheking, I’m not trying to make excusses, but they did seem slower than usual. Coming back and pressuring the puck on the transition from offense to defense seemed to hurt us. So many areas in the game that brokedown, I’m just waiting for the official word, on what happened alltogether.
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xeropoint Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 12:45 pm
@rontheking, Goaltending was not, repeat NOT the reason the Kings have lost the last two games. Stay positive, yes, but don’t blame the tenders for the two worst games the team has played all year.
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rontheking Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 1:19 pm
@xeropoint,
there’s probably plenty of blame to go around, and i don’t remember all the goals, although bernier looked like a fish out of water on the one where he was on his hands and knees…but there was the other one as well that went in off of hartnell’s skate–most nhl goaltenders prevent a pass like that with their stick from going through their crease right in front of them.
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No changes at practice.
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well December month was our month we had more wins than lost i hope we can do the same on Next year mfirst month omg i cant believe i said that time flys LOL yea Jan i hope we get more wins on that month too and win one last game on Blackhawks for they wont have a perfect on us if they do i be piss
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It’s been said I know, it’s only two losses in a row. It’s not the losses that are really concerning me, it’s how the Kings are loosing. Looks to me the D is just plain tired.
With shuting down the Sharks like they did and haveing to play the games after that they had, I understand. But Drewiski slide, that was just not good.
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Rich, how about a little commentary to go along with the reporting. For a simple game run down we can go to the Times, as an Insider maybe you could provide a some analysis for those of us that didn’t actually see the game. The Kings have given up 13 goals in two days, what is the problem (blown assignments, turnovers, careless penalties) and who is to blame?
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Rich Hammond Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Out of curiosity, do you not read the game stories and numerous daily issue-themed blog posts, or do you simply find them inadequate? If it’s the latter, I regret that the coverage doesn’t fit your needs, and I appreciate the input but it’s not likely to significantly change.
http://kings.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id=2010020556
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Great wrap up Rich on a somber situation
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