The Kings should’ve won a game they had no business winning, a wild one on Anze Kopitar Night

Anze Kopitar wasn’t feeling particularly sentimental after last night’s game.

Prior to puck drop, the Kings held a pre-game ceremony for the captain, honoring his 1,500th career NHL game and his achievement of becoming the all-time franchise leader in scoring, both of which occurred last month. Joining Kopitar for the pre-game ceremony was a group of people who mean so much to him, including his family and a few former teammates.

Among that group were his parents, Matjaz and Mateja, who both came in from Slovenia for the game.

“I don’t know. I’ve got to think it was pretty cool.”

For his family, I am sure the night was pretty cool indeed. It was a terrific ceremony to honor the most a player who has given 20 years of excellence to the Kings organization.

That’s not to say Kopitar won’t appreciate these types of moments in time. An incredible family man, he certainly will. To have his family with him on the ice for a night like that, when all is said and done, it’s likely a night he will reflect on when the time comes. Right now, though, there is very little sentiment for a player in his final regular season in the NHL, who captains a team that is currently on the outside of the playoff field looking in.

For Kopitar, I’m drawn back a few weeks to when he became the all-time franchise leader in points in New Jersey. In that game, the Kings overturned a two-goal deficit to take the lead, with Kopitar scoring one of those goals, tying Marcel Dionne’s franchise record in the process. Ater falling behind again, it was Kopitar’s record-setting goal that tied the game in the third period, only for a late power-play goal against to end the night with a defeat.

When asked how that moment felt, he answered candidly.

“Quite honestly, feels pretty shitty.”

Right now, his ambitions are not to take part in ceremonies. His ambition is to extend his career.

When asked last night about the prospect of these final seven games potentially being the end of the road, Kopitar answered defiantly that he has no intentions of that happening.

“I don’t just plan on playing seven more games.”

He certainly doesn’t want it to end with a meaningless game in Calgary a couple of weeks from now. Regardless of what you think of the team’s chances in a playoff series with Colorado, they are chances nonetheless, as opposed to the alternative. If the Kings can find a way in, Kopitar’s last game will be a competitive one and that’s important to him.

The Kings entered last night’s game in sole possession of a playoff spot but exited it tied, on the outside looking in via tiebreaking procedures against both San Jose and Nashville. Los Angeles does not control its own fate. With the Sharks and Predators playing against each other tomorrow, the Kings will be two points behind one of those teams when they next hit the ice on Saturday, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It is certainly Kopitar’s ambition to reach the postseason and that of his teammates to get there for him.

“I think everyone is dying to get in, but I think certainly Kopi would like to do it one more time and I think the boys would like to do it for him,” Interim Head Coach D.J. Smith said. “I thought Kopi tonight skated as good maybe he has this season. He was dangerous, he was all over the place. I think if they follow his lead, we’re going to find a way in here.”

However, that is no longer something that is fully within their control. It was, until two wins from the last eight games played. Now, the Kings will be a two points out when they next hit the ice, which is really three points out when you factor in the regulation wins tiebreaker. You can feel the threads on the rope slowly snapping with each passing defeat. There are still a couple connected. But they’re dwindling.

The Kings started last night’s game the way they’ve started every game on this homestand – flat. Not once on this homestand have they came out of the gates the way a team fighting for their playoff lives should look. They went down 2-0 after 20 minutes and at 4-1 midway through the second period, the game felt nearly out of reach, until a thunderous comeback effort tied the game at four, forcing overtime. It was a tale of two games, which ended where it feels like every game has this season – overtime. At least the Insider Suite got 65 minutes for the price of 60.

It was one of those rare games where two completely opposite thoughts are both true.

The Kings had absolutely no business winning last night’s game and yet they absolutely should have won last night’s game.

You can say that the Kings absolutely should have won that game and you’d be right. They outshot Nashville 13-5 in the final frame and that doesn’t account for, what, three posts? Half of that stretch came during a tie game, so it wasn’t just pushing to tie it, doing so and backing off.

You can also say the Kings had absolutely no business winning that game and you’d be right. The start was unacceptable once again and being 2-0 down was, frankly, fortunate after 20 minutes, considering how the first goal went in and the number of mistakes in that first period, which carried over into the early part of the second period.

The Kings should have won a game they had no business winning. Sums this season up pretty well.

I’ll end with this thought, because it was, frankly, just really enjoyable. The crowd last night rocked. It was clearly a diehard hockey fanbase, there to celebrate Anze Kopitar, and they delivered a really, really good atmosphere. The Kings haven’t given the crowd very much to cheer about at home this season but last night didn’t matter. The energy all night was really good and once 4-1 became 4-3, it felt like a playoff game within the arena. Was extremely noticeable and would be nice to have more than just four more in this building for moments like that.

Kings are off today, following the back-to-back, and will return to action tomorrow. No morning skate, with the 4 PM puck drop, so will be the game preview in the AM and then on we go. Seven games left, Insiders.