Waking up with the Kings: February 6

The Kings were comfortably in control of Thursday’s game in Sunrise after Marian Gaborik’s go-ahead third period power play goal. They were checking well, Jonathan Quick made the important saves when pressured, and following the opposing odd-man rushes that defined the game’s first 11 minutes, there was very little that Florida was able to consistently generate against Los Angeles’ customary and suffocating possession efforts. It was the type of road performance that followed a familiar script in the previous three years under Darryl Sutter: enter the third period tied, score a big goal, weather the storm, board the plane. But the game changed in an instant when Jake Muzzin committed an ugly turnover during a sloppy stretch of 15 seconds in which two offensive zone turnovers – one on a centering feed by Anze Kopitar, and one on a pass from Muzzin that deflected off Dustin Brown’s skate – set the play in the opposite direction. Muzzin, spinning off a Florida forechecker who was heading to the bench after a long shift, offered a soft touch right onto the stick of the Panthers’ leading goal scorer, Nick Bjugstad, and the rest – you’ve seen the replays. The last two months represent growing pains in the development in the evolution of a young, possession-driving defenseman who was so integral to the club’s 2014 Stanley Cup championship and appeared to be on a steady, upward trajectory but like several players has hit a rut this season. He’s a minus-12 in his last 25 games. He’s also the possessor of an outstanding hockey body, is supremely athletic, and has a gifted and versatile skill set that will allow him to play a long, long time in the NHL. He’s hiccupping at a time when the Kings have so little margin for error on the back end.

Los Angeles Kings v Florida Panthers

Few breaks went the Kings’ way in Game 51, and to watch the game’s evolution was to behold a stunning exhibition of unfortunate poetic justice. In the notoriously soft BB&T Center ice, bouncing pucks hopped over the sticks of Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown and handcuffed Trevor Lewis on a one-timed attempt, limiting the Kings’ forwards while they had ample nets to work with in the second period. Leading 2-1 in the third, Nick Shore hit the post from the high slot, narrowly missing out on his first career goal on what would have been a game-changing insurance marker. More soft ice contributed to the puck that hopped over Tyler Toffoli’s stick on what appeared to be a textbook breakout – though the young winger needed to bear down and receive that pass successfully. To make the playoffs, Los Angeles will need to string together a collection of multiple wins – we’re talking five, six straight wins – and with the deflections and redirections against the club that spiked during late December and early January also in mind, this current stretch of unfortunate luck (and mistake-prone play) is keeping the club from building on its two-point efforts. The Kings have strung together wins only four times this season: six games, three games and two games (twice).

Los Angeles Kings v Florida Panthers

With Tanner Pearson out of the lineup, the Kings have struggled for offense. In the nine games since he was felled by a broken fibula, Los Angeles has scored more than two goals only twice. It would be beneficial during this challenging stretch of limited personnel options that Jamie McBain remains in the lineup. McBain was very effective on Thursday, recovering from an odd-man rush against in the first period to score an equalizer on a blast from inside the right point. He made crisp little plays throughout the game, leading rushes and breakouts and getting pucks into the forwards’ hands quickly. Brayden McNabb has been an effective blueliner at home, but on the road, the more experienced McBain could be a more effective (and productive) option. We’re talking about someone who’s a sixth or seventh defenseman, so the tangible benefit may not be profound. But given his performance on Thursday – he hadn’t played in nine games and was immediately ready and effective when called upon – McBain should be given an opportunity to continue to build on his eight-point, 17-game sample size.

Los Angeles Kings v Florida Panthers

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