Waking up with the Kings: November 21

Without the services of a number of key players, the Los Angeles Kings stuck to their tried and true style of play and emerged from Orange County with an emotional and gutsy 3-2 win that rode the Jeff Carter line for the first 40 minutes and Peter Budaj for the final 20 against an opponent both flat and webbed-footed. It’s come to be virtually regarded as fact that the Ducks, when trailing at home in this rivalry, are not going to be denied a disproportionate share of scoring chances in the third period; likewise, no team is really going to go into Honda Center and step all over the hosts for the entire 60 minutes. (Unless you’re the Columbus Blue Jackets, apparently.) But the Kings, despite ceding the Ducks three power plays in the first period, opened the game sharply and denied any real looks over the center of the ice, allowing them to strike three times in their best middle frame of the season. Second period goal differentials entering last night’s game were Los Angeles -4 and Anaheim +7, but the visitors banked on a nice Drew Doughty hesitation move that got Korbinian Holzer to bite and opened up a path to the upper left corner of the net with a screen in front to begin the scoring. (In the last two games, L.A. has claimed a 5-0 aggregate second period score.) One big key to the win was the second period insurance; if the Kings were to head into the third period leading by one, that game’s a toss-up; if they were able to put another past John Gibson, that’s a happy bus ride home. Jeff Carter to the rescue.

If the Kings are to make the playoffs in 2016-17, they can look at this stretch of play without Anze Kopitar as a load-bearing pillar of such an accomplishment. Given the weight and importance of those injured, a team with a more gossamer constitution could’ve dropped a handful of games, and it would’ve been understandable, if disappointing to the team and fanbase. But there’s the familiar cliché of This Is An Opportunity For Other Guys To Step Up, and that’s exactly what’s has happened during one of the most compacted times in the schedule. Jeff Carter, so much more than just a goal scorer, has been the team’s most important forward, and apart from his recent scoring binge has used his closing ability, intuitive routes and wingspan to win battles for loose pucks. He has paced That 70’s Line, which hadn’t been as effective over the better part of the last year and a half as it had been during the 2014 playoff run and the early stages of 2014-15; that the line has been as effective as it has recently is all the more impressive given the tougher match-ups it draws in the absence of several key forwards.

There are several things that will stick with me about Joe Resnick,and one of them is that the longtime AP writer was passionate about the history and pageantry of the sports he covered. This was reflected in the his computer’s desktop background and screen saver, which he changed for virtually every game at Staples Center. The Philadelphia Flyers are in town? Expect to see an homage on Resnick’s computer to the Broad Street Bullies. The Montreal Canadiens? Expect Jacques Plante or Guy Lafleur. He was proud to show off his intricate knowledge with those he shared the press box with, and his passing yesterday morning leaves a hole in Los Angeles print and digital sports media. So many of the Kings articles you may have read on ESPN.com or Yahoo! or other outlets that use AP copy were written by him, even if he didn’t regularly receive his own byline. For more on Joe Resnick, I recommend this touching and heavy story written by Bill Plaschke two weeks ago. It was a really nice gesture by the Dodgers and Angels writers to present him with the BBWAA’s Bob Hunter Award earlier this month, and here’s a stick tap to Alex Gilchrist and the Ducks’ public relations team for recognizing him both at his familiar Honda Center seat, and through a first period announcement in the press box. Rest in peace, Joe.

Classy of Ducks: they left a scoresheet at Joe Resnick's seat. pic.twitter.com/D6QnaYNKxA

— Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) November 21, 2016