The Key Three: March 13

It would have been difficult to make a compelling argument that the Kings, in any way, were the favorites heading into last night’s game. They were facing a Detroit team that had beaten them in all three previous meetings this season — by a combined margin of 16-6, no less — and had just four days earlier rallied late to hand the Kings a devastating regulation loss. The Kings were playing the first game after a week-long Midwestern road trip, while the Red Wings had been cooling their heels in Los Angeles for two days. Yes, the Red Wings’ roster was significantly weakened by injury, but they are still quite deep and they got goalie Jimmy Howard back.

So, give credit to the Kings. They came out with another great start to a first period, and didn’t buckle when the Red Wings gave their inevitable push in the second period, after the Kings had taken a 2-0 lead. Jonathan Quick didn’t do anything magnificent, but he was solid and stable and did everything the Kings needed him to do. The Kings’ got good activity from the defensemen, moved and recovered the puck well on the power play and were once again stellar on the penalty kill, including a huge 5-on-3 kill early in the third period. Some of the Kings’ best player stepped up and got the job done throughout the game. What was the key aspect of the Kings’ 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings? I present three options at the link below, and you can vote for your choice…

The Key Three: March 13

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For those who enjoy the traditional game recap, it can be found by clicking here.