FINAL – Kings 2, Flyers 4 – Edler, Kopitar, McLellan

The LA Kings saw their eight-game point streak come to an end after a 4-2 defeat against Philadelphia in the final game of the 2022 calendar year.

The Kings got goals from Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault in the defeat. Goaltender Jonathan Quick made 19 saves between the pipes.

The Kings capitalized on an early 5-on-3 power play to open the scoring this afternoon. Skating on an extended two-man advantage, defenseman Drew Doughty delayed before he fed forward Adrian Kempe in the right-hand circle, where the Swede wired a one-timer past Flyers netminder Samuel Ersson for his 14th goal of the season and a 1-0 advanatge.

Philadelphia capitalized with a power-play goal of its own, however, to tie the game at one midway through the opening period. Defenseman Cam York fed forward Scott Laughton in the right-hand circle, where he sent a one-timer past Kings netminder Jonathan Quick for the equalizer 12:15 into the game.

Less than a minute later, however, the Kings surged back ahead through Danault, who gave the team a 2-1 advantage heading into the first intermission. Forward Viktor Arvidsson collected yet another primary assist as he fed a streaking Danault in space, where the centerman uncorked a slap shot off the rush, past Ersson, to put the hosts ahead going into the first intermission.

The Flyers drew even for the second time with the lone goal of the second period, bringing the game into the second intermission tied at two. In the offensive zone, forward Owen Tippett danced his way into the right-hand circle, where he snapped a shot past Quick on the glove side for his 12th goal of the season.

After a pair of power-play goals in the opening period, one for each team, it was a shorthanded goal for the visitors that made the difference. Going the other way, forward Noah Cates pulled up inside the blueline and shot through a few moving bodies in front of Quick, with the puck finding a way into the back of the net for the 3-2 advantage.

Forward Travis Konecny found the empty net inside 30 seconds to play to seal the final score.

Hear from defenseman Alex Edler, forward Anze Kopitar and Head Coach Todd McLellan following tonight’s game.

Alex Edler

Edler joins the media following his 1000th career game 🦅#GoKingsGo | @LAKings pic.twitter.com/KQupptC7Ez

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) December 31, 2022

Anze Kopitar
On tonight’s game
I don’t think it got away, I think we were very much in the game. I thought we were doing some good stuff, we had some chances, we just didn’t come through today. It was a battle of special teams and we lost it.

On the impact that special teams had on tonight’s game
Yeah, I mean, they got a power plant and a shortie. That turned out to be the difference, which is unfortunate, but sometimes that’s the way it goes.

On not being able to take a game that was there to be taken
No, I mean, the game was right there, it’s not like we had a slip in the first or in the second, we just didn’t get the job done, that’s what it was.

On Quinton Byfield joining his line over the last four periods
Q is very dynamic, obviously a big body and he can definitely make plays. This has been, what, four periods that we’ve been together and I’m sure we’re going to stick for a few more games. Hopefully we can find some chemistry and score a few goals.

Todd McLellan
On if he felt tonight was a “letdown” from the win over Colorado
No, I don’t think was let down, I don’t think we had what it took to win. We didn’t have a lot of energy for whatever reason, maybe that was the Colorado thing and we weren’t real polished. I think you guys watched that early. In the first 10 minutes of the game we didn’t connect on many passes and when you don’t have energy and you’re not connected, you’re just spinning your wheels in the mud. It felt like we could never get it going all night. We had spurts of good play and then we’d fall off a little bit, so we probably got what we deserved tonight.

On the power play tonight, when the group didn’t have the energy or polish
That’s the one time when you should be able to, they’re shorter player, usually they’re in their zone more. I thought we would move the puck around and get it to where we needed to and then we’d fan on the shot or we’d shoot it into somebody. When we’re clicking, the puck gets by the blocked shot and we’re scrambling at the net, the one-timer is at least going towards the net where someone can get a stick on it. The scrum in the corner that we win, we’re able to pop and play, distribute the puck out, there we pop, they get to it and we break out again. When you’re not real sharp and you get those power plays, it does affect it, but that’s the one time you need to attack and we didn’t.

On Jonathan Quick tonight and if he believes there was any “rust” in his game with “spot starts”
He made some good saves, it’s what it is. Whether it’s Jonathan Quick or anybody else, that’s the way it goes. There’s a ton of confidence in him, he’s obviously done it a million times throughout his career and he’ll continue to do it.

On the penalty kill tonight and over the last stretch of games
I think our penalty kill is improving, I think it’s much improved from where it was at the first quarter of the season. The group play and the reads, the reactions are there, we’ve got to get the job done though. We seem to give up one a night, in various ways still, so the number is not looking good, we’re giving up one a night, yet the penalty kill is improving. You might think that I’m insane, but that’s how we see it.

On where he believes things are at, bigger picture, entering 2023
I’ll answer for the organization, the team, we’re still putting things in place and we’re trying to keep our game growing. We shrunk a little tonight, we gave a little bit back, we all know that, but we’ve got to get back on the horse and ride it again. If there’s a horse in front of us right now, so be it, we’ve got to make sure that ours is in good shape and ready to run and that’s where we’re at.

On the statuses of Trevor Moore and Arthur Kaliyev
Trevor worked out yesterday or today, I haven’t got a report how well that went. He’s obviously not going to be playing for a few more days. Arty, same thing, he hasn’t skated since his injury. Those are two players that we won’t have for for a little while.

Notes –
– Alexander Edler skated in his 1,000th NHL game to become the sixth Swedish-born defenseman in league history to skate in 1,000 career NHL games, the 12th active defenseman, the second defenseman from the 2004 NHL Draft class (Alex Goligoski, 1,012 GP) and the seventh overall skater from his draft class to reach such mark.
– With his first period goal, Phillip Danault extended his point streak to seven games (5-4-9), tying his career-high point streak from Apr. 7-21, 2022 (5-3-8). Danault has also collected a point in each of his last six games against the Philadelphia Flyers (2-8-10) dating back to Nov. 7, 2019.
– Adrian Kempe scored his 14th goal of the campaign, second most on the Kings behind forward Gabe Vilardi.
– Victor Arvidsson (0-1-1) recorded his team-leading 18th primary assist of the season on Philip Danault’s first-period goal. He now has eight points in his last six games (2-6-8).
– Kevin Fiala increased his team-leading point total to 37 points (10-27-37) with his secondary assist on Adrian Kempe’s first period goal.

The Kings have a scheduled team off day tomorrow and will return to the ice at 11 AM on January 2nd at Toyota Sports Performance Center. More to follow tomorrow on Alex Edler’s 1,000th game, including his remarks, as well as more from his teammates and coaches.