Waking up with the Kings: December 14

After a first period that was occasionally eventful, and, for the local fans, occasionally sleep-inducing, and a second period that opened with a beautifully placed puck by Tyler Toffoli to 2016-17 Los Angeles Kings MVP Jeff Carter, a 2-0 lead evolved into a 4-2 deficit during a six minute and 13 second stretch of play that represented one of the most jarring collapses the team has endured since Game 3 against San Jose in 2011. There were missed assignments and coverages – plenty of those. There is also, as Jeff Carter made mention of, probably some fragility with this team right now. (Any time a player says “we’re fragile,” eyes and ears immediately perk up. That’s a weighty statement.) But, while these two concepts are certainly legitimate, the root of the collapse, and the struggles to keep scores low, returns to one thing: goaltending.

The first goal against, scored by noted King Killer Ryan O’Reilly, originated when Jake Muzzin lost footing on the center in the left wing corner and continued to have to fight uphill when his Point A-to-Point B path was disrupted by a stationary Sam Reinhart. Muzzin ultimately fought through that, but again was leveraged by O’Reilly, who was able to gain a step on the defender while driving middle of the slot towards the far post before beating Peter Budaj with a $7.5-million backhander. Muzzin was beaten by a player twice in the same sequence, though that’s a preventable goal if one of his teammates offers support. The most able to help would’ve been Anze Kopitar – O’Reilly is the opposing center – though Kopitar was caught between O’Reilly and Kyle Okposo at the far post and appeared reluctant to open up a passing lane.

Buffalo’s second goal was the turning point in the game and the most deflating goal endured this season. The Kings still had the capacity to fight through it – the game was tied on the road and up for grabs – but they weren’t able to ultimately battle back from it. Jack Eichel picked up an exchange with Okposo, drifted to the left point and offered a skittering puck along the ice towards the front of the net that simply snuck in between Budaj’s right pad and the near post; it even surprised the camera operator, who wasn’t able to pan the lens to capture it crossing the goal line. Los Angeles’ save percentage this year is .896, which ranks 29th in the league. The save percentages over the previous five seasons: .915, .911, .922, .905, .924. It’s not at all fair to pin the challenges here on Budaj, who is maximizing his ability after being placed in such a precarious position in which he’s more or less playing every game, save a day of rest here or there. While Budaj played more minutes than any other AHL goalie last season, there’s a bit of difference in pressure, focus, and, obviously, ability between the AHL and the NHL, and it’s at least worth opening the discussion of whether he’s simply drained from having appeared in 25 of the team’s last 26 games. This is a major issue for the Kings, who have a depleted pipeline and a goalie in Jeff Zatkoff who just doesn’t have the trust of Darryl Sutter at this point and hasn’t won a game that he started this season. Something has to happen here to steer clear of a season resembling the 2015-16 Montreal Canadiens, because Jonathan Quick isn’t walking through those doors anytime soon.

My goodness, there are difficult decisions ahead for Dean Lombardi and company. The team has stated that it does not want to shed assets, but at what point do they make a move to bring in another goaltender in an effort to try to salvage a season in which Kopitar, Carter and Drew Doughty are all in their primes, while knowing that Quick is looking at a potential mid-second half return? There are goaltenders available, but many of those brandied or available might not be seen as upgrades. The team is fond of Thomas Greiss of the New York Islanders – one of three goalies marooned on the western tip of Long Island – and the German would be an attractive fit as a UFA-bound player who has a daily cap hit of just $975,000 remaining on the $1.5-million hit that opened the season, so there’s theoretical space to make that work. Earlier this season, I asked hockey operations whether they were kicking the tires on Greiss and was told a simple “no.” That back-and-forth was during a period in which the team was interested in evaluating the Budaj-Zatkoff train, so it’s possible perceptions have changed. Keep in mind that teams must leave one goaltender under contract for 2017-18 unprotected in the expansion draft; right now that designation is fulfilled with Zatkoff, who signed a two-year deal in July.

On another note, it’s sad to hear of the passing of Alan Thicke, a fixture at Kings games well before the luminary attraction to the team was solidified during the Wayne Gretzky era. Thicke was well connected to the team throughout the 1980’s and became incredibly close with a number of players and coaches during the Forum Blue and Gold years and lent his celebrity to the team’s charitable events, becoming highly admired by those in the organization with whom he crossed paths. From everyone associated with LAKI, we send all our condolences and strength to the Thicke family, and may he rest in peace. | Via Greg Wyshynski / Puck Daddy: Alan Thicke, actor and NHL fanatic, dies playing hockey with son