Angeles Analysis – Digging In

There is not anything more you could have asked from the LA Kings last night.

Not another ounce, not another inch, not another of whatever unit of measurement you use for this sort of thing.

This article is here to talk about the games against San Jose and Florida, but man, do I just want to talk about that Florida game. On one hand, there were parts of that game that left you speechless. Other parts you want to write 3,000 words about. And that’s the beauty of it.

Just when it looked bleakest, just when it looked like everything was about to fall apart and just when it looked like the Kings were destined to lose three in a row, they responded with perhaps the most exhilarating win of the 2021-22 season.

It’s important to talk about the San Jose games, though, because they set the stage for last night’s moment. Two losses, one being in overtime, is nothing to fret about, but when those two losses saw three additional players injured, on top of the four already lost the week before, that’s when worry began to build up.

Todd McLellan talked a few weeks back about the peaks and valleys that would undoubtedly come for the Kings down the stretch. When asked a question about the frantic, condensed schedule down the stretch, he called both inevitable for the Kings and every team around the league. He emphasized the importance of making sure those valleys don’t spiral and don’t extend uncontrollably.

Last night was a perfect example of doing exactly that.

The Kings had a decision to make when they came to the rink to start their Sunday. They could wallow in the fact that half of their regular lineup was missing, or they could dig in and fight back with who they had available to them. Had they done the former, it would’ve resulted in three straight losses, with Colorado coming to town tomorrow. I think last night’s performance showed that they clearly chose the latter, and that’s an incredible quality to have.

The games against the Sharks were led by the duo of Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore, with Andreas Athanasiou an effective third member on night one. All three scored and had multi-point nights as the Kings picked up a point in a game when they were far from their best. Moore led the Kings with four points this week, and also added the shootout winner to boot yesterday. Moore has 29 points from 29 games since the calendar flipped to 2022, and he brings energy, effort and speed every night, where the score is 3-2 or 0-5.

The game in San Jose didn’t lead to much on an individual front, but I think it’s important to highlight Jordan Spence. Spence made two mistakes that led to San Jose’s second goal, mistakes you’ll see from a defenseman in his second career NHL game. It was his response, though, that stood out.

When Trent Yawney was the acting head coach, he talked about how different defensemen handle mistakes, and more importantly, how they respond to those situations. Yawney highlighted Mikey Anderson as a player who bounces back extremely well to making a mistake, having the confidence to make the right play immediately after. I saw some of those traits in Jordan Spence on Saturday. Spence is a player with offensive gifts and he showcased them even with the Kings down by several goals. His confidence and savvy to make plays offensively, both with his stick and his legs, was impressive, and to do so after the goal against made it that much more so. The Kings controlled 64 percent of shot attempts and scoring chances in that game with Spence on the ice and he himself had six shot attempts in total. Learned a lot about that player in a 5-0 loss.

Sunday’s victory had no shortage of heroes. Rasmus Kupari in his first game back from the AHL? Skated well, handled the puck well, got an important goal. Martin Frk in his first game back from the AHL? Shot the puck as only he can do, important goal to tie things up. Gabe Vilardi in his first game back from the AHL? Effective on the boards and in the corners, made plays in tight spaces and a part of a line with Kupari and Quinton Byfield that controlled 58 percent of shot attempts at 5-on-5, creating some good chances and that first-period goal. Those three players were on a mission to show those who sent them down that a mistake wa made. As McLellan said after the game “we love being wrong”, because it gives the Kings that many more options.

When you look at those names mentioned, it’s hard not to give credit where credit is due, and that’s with Rob Blake and Todd McLellan. They pushed the right buttons at the right time yesterday, giving the Kings what they needed, when they needed it. When you’re replacing injured players, getting the proper ingredients might be more important than anything else. Yesterday, the Kings dressed the right players, with the right ingredients to find success and some of that credit needs to go to management and the coaching staff.

Looking further at yesterday’s win, Jonathan Quick deserves his due as well. We’ll have a larger-scale feature on Quick’s historic accomplishment, but it was clear and obvious that Quick bolstered his team both through his play, which included several key saves to keep a 2-1 game just that, but also through his presence. The Kings wanted that win for Quick. They needed that win for Quick. In his 700th career NHL game, the Kings embodied their goaltender with a competitive, gutsy, committed victory as a team, capping off a special day with the only thing Quick wanted to be recognized – two points.

The Kings went 2-1-1 this week and saw their magic number drop to 37. Very, VERY early to talk about that, but the last time I looked that number was 44, so we’re making progress. That last time I looked, however, that number was also against Edmonton, and now it’s against Vegas, with the two teams trading spots for the third seed in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have won just three of their last 10, but still have the pieces to put together a strong stretch run and the same can be said of the Oilers, who have won four of their last 10.

The Kings will visit Vegas for the final time this season on Saturday, with games against the Avalanche and Sharks to come first on home ice. Another big week ahead, as the Kings look to continue to press all the right buttons again, through a challenging stretch of injuries.