FINAL – Kings 1, Flames 3 – Kopitar, Spence, Hiller

The LA Kings fell by a 3-1 margin on the first of two games on the road, losing tonight’s contest against the Calgary Flames on Monday evening at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Neither team found the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes, as Calgary held a 10-7 advantage in shots on goal. Each team had a breakaway opportunity kept out, with Kevin Fiala denied by Calgary’s Dustin Wolf, while Connor Zary had a chance the other way that hit the post and deflected out of play, the only puck to get past a sharp Darcy Kuemper in the first frame.

Midway through the second period, the Flames scored twice in less than a minute, taking a 2-0 lead with the game’s first two goals.

First, forward Mikael Backlund took advantage of a turnover in the defensive zone, which led to a Grade-A opportunity. The Kings got too cute on their breakout attempt, turning the puck over in a dangerous area before Backlund one-timed it over the glove of Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper for the unassisted goal, Backlund’s fourth of the season.

On the next shift, Calgary forward Jonathan Huberdeau made it 2-0 with a breakaway goal. Huberdeau got a step on Kings defenseman Andreas Englund, slipping in alone down the left wing. Huberdeau drew the puck into the middle of the ice before placing his shot back the other way, past Kuemper on the blocker side, for his sixth goal of the season and a two-goal advantage.

Inside three minutes to play, the Kings finally got on the board after a video review overturned a no-goal call in their favor. Forward Anze Kopitar fed forward Trevor Moore behind the net and Moore pulled the puck out quickly, shooting into the glove of Calgary netminder Dustin Wolf, though upon review it was judged that the puck completely crossed the goal line, bringing the visitors within 2-1, as Moore extended his point streak to six games.

Despite a late Kings power play, it was Calgary that found the back of the net late, icing the game with an empty-net goal from forward Kevin Rooney.

Hear from Kopitar, defenseman Jordan Spence and Head Coach Jim Hiller following tonight’s game.

Jordan Spence

Anze Kopitar
On his takeaways on a disappointing performance
It definitely wasn’t the sharpest game we’ve played, but we still had some chances that we didn’t capitalize on, especially in the second period. You can’t spot a team two goals and then start playing. We’re going to have to look at some stuff and be better on Wednesday.

On the goals against being preventable
Yeah, sometimes that’s the way it goes, I don’t think I’d look too much into that, it was just one of those games where we didn’t connect and we didn’t play well enough. We didn’t have the energy that you need and we’re playing catchup for the better part of half the game, yet we were still in it until the very. Just everything has to be better.

Trevor Moore bumping up onto his line and how it impacted the team
It’s Jimmy trying to find something, it worked, we’ll see what happens going forward. Me and Juice have played with a couple wingers now and you just try to play the game, try to do your thing and create chances.

On Darcy Kuemper’s play making the team feel like they were still in the game
For sure, absolutely. Both of them, Darcy and Dave, have been really good for us so far this season and it’s on us to make sure we score a few goals for them, and not giving up too much to where they’ve got to make spectacular saves.

Jim Hiller
On his takeaways from tonight’s game
First 30 minutes, we didn’t have a lot of jam until Sammy got into that fight. We just didn’t show enough emotion, gave them two, they could have had more, we gave them more opportunities than two, but handed them two. Then Sammy got into the fight, maybe got us going a little bit.

On the two goals against coming on preventable mistakes
Yeah, just simple mistakes, right, that are Grade-A chances. You know, you can make mistakes, but you can’t give them a Grade-A. Usually when somebody makes a mistake, you’d like somebody else to try to clean it up. We didn’t have either of those on those two goals.

On making in-game adjustments, with Trevor Moore moving up with Kopitar and Kempe
With Mooresie, you know what you’re going to get from Mooresie. He brings a lot of speed and energy. I didn’t like Phil’s line as a threesome, so it was more getting Mooresie somewhere else to try to see if he could spark, and of course, he complimented Kopi and Juice pretty well.

On the team’s shot attempts and Calgary blocking 37 shots in total
Well, we weren’t dangerous in the first half. Second half, I thought we were dangerous, but they blocked a lot, they had five guys inside. I didn’t think we went D-to-D enough. We just weren’t sharp. The bottom line is, when you’re on it, you’re quick, it’s moving quick, you find a lane, you get a tip, all those things that just didn’t happen for us.

On Darcy Kuemper’s play, keeping the team in the game
Yeah, he was giving us a chance. He did that in, where was it, in Nashville, in the first period so he’s done that. He did his job. He held the fort to ride to try and get us to get our legs under us, it just took too long. Then, we gave them those two glorious chances and we can only ask him to do so much.

Notes –
• Forward Trevor Moore (1-0=1) extended his point streak to a career-long sixth game (2-5=6) with his third period marker.
• Captain Anze Kopitar (0-1=1) picked up his 13th assist of the season, his 40th career assist against the Flames, breaking a tie with Rob Blake (39) for sole possession of the fifth-most assist against Calgary in franchise history.
• Tonight marked Kopitar’s 35th career road matchup against the Flames, passing Marcel Dionne (34) for sole possession of the third-most road games against Calgary in franchise history, behind only Luc Robitaille (42) and Dave Taylor (46).
• Forward Quinton Byfield (0-1=1) recorded his seventh assist of the season.
• Kopitar’s three takeaways tonight tied a season-high that the forward set Oct. 29 at San Jose.
• With rookie forward Samuel Helenius‘s second period tilt against Calgary’s Justin Kirkland, the Kings
have been assessed nine fighting majors this season, marking the most fights of any team in the League.

The Kings have a team practice scheduled for tomorrow in Colorado, beginning at noon Pacific time at Joy Burns Arena at Denver University. The team will face the Coloraod Avalanche on Wednesday evening at Ball Arena in Denver.