Waking up with the Kings: February 13

Believe it or not, Tyler Toffoli was in a rough patch as recently as last week. After recording two points during his return to the lineup in the 4-3 come-from-behind win over Chicago on January 28, the 22-year-old did not distinguish himself well in the three games that followed – games at Boston, Washington and Florida – in which he was held scoreless, totaled six shots, and registered a minus-four rating. Whether or not anything was said to offer him a dog days spark isn’t clear, though he has rebounded with gusto in the three game since, potting five goals as part of a six-point, plus-five, 14-shot effort in wins over Tampa Bay, Columbus and Calgary. He’s scored big goals, too – he opened the scoring in Tampa Bay on an outstanding individual effort, scored the goal against the Blue Jackets that allowed the Kings to head into the first intermission with a lead, and potted a hugely important goal as part of a hat trick by redirecting a Jake Muzzin net-front offering past Jonas Hiller to tie a game that Los Angeles was dominating at two late in the second period.

Other than a tense second period in which the Kings fell behind an opportunistic club that capitalized on a power play goal and a goal that should have been immediately disallowed due to Curtis Glencross contact that spun Jonathan Quick around, Los Angeles was in complete control from the opening 90 seconds in which a heavy forecheck disrupted Calgary’s attempt to leave its own zone and helped to set the tone for the evening. Other than some intermittent pressure from the visitors, L.A. was clearly on its game. The Kings’ 74 shot attempts during five-on-five play were the second most out of any regular season game since the 2009-10 season; for a team whose possession habits represent a load-bearing tenet of its style of play, last night’s game should be held up as Case Study A#1. Ultimately Los Angeles was able to bury the puck after exiting a dominant first period with only a one-goal lead, helping to set up a third period in which they outscored a plus-33 third period team by two goals. As Darryl Sutter said after the game, “Jeff Carter himself probably could’ve had what, five goals tonight?” Carter’s zone entry that led to Toffoli’s late second period equalizer was as beautiful of a controlled zone entry as we’ve seen this season.

Having mentioned Carter and Toffoli, it’s important to note the contributions by Dwight King on That 70’s Line Part Deux. The hulking, possession-driving winger has recorded multiple points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career while posting his highest ice time totals in any game decided in regulation since October. With the challenges again faced by the Kings to find scoring on the left side of the lineup with Tanner Pearson unavailable, King has stepped into an important role and cultivated palpable chemistry with Carter and Toffoli and should make a late run in an attempt to approach his career-best numbers from last season (15-15=30). King’s value to the team doesn’t lie solely in his production, though with 17 points (9-8=17) and increased opportunities with Pearson out and on a red hot line, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him continue to further his rate of production over the final 28 games.