Angeles Analysis – One Up, One Down + Moverare Moves

One up, one down.

When you’re playing games that are described as having a “playoff feel”, you’re unlikely to win them all. The Kings found a way to beat Vancouver in the opening game of the roadtrip, as they did against Tampa Bay over the weekend, but they were unable to do the same in Edmonton, which took the season series with three wins from four games, as the Kings posted a 1-2-1 mark against the Oilers in the regular season.

For the Kings, it’s the time of the year when every game should carry a playoff-feel. While Calgary has faded from the playoff race, the Kings haven’t won in this building since 2022 and the two points on the line are so important. In Winnipeg on Monday, it’s two teams battling on that line between Wild Card club and a divisional position. Positions that we could see flip flop several times down the stretch, with the points on the table in Manitoba important in determining those races.

If we look at last night’s “playoff feel”, it was a night when space was at a premium early. The Oilers carried the play in the first period – although the shot attempts and shots on goal were nearly even, Edmonton had six high-danger chances compared to just one for the Kings. Game flow was okay, but Edmonton imposed themselves on the game early and had the better of the chances. We saw a different Kings team in the second period, with ample opportunity to tie the game or perhaps score multiple goals. The Kings didn’t take advantage of their 2-on-1’s and it was ultimately the final 80 seconds that changed the game.

The Kings created two Grade-A looks with just over a minute to play, with Quinton Byfield feeding Adrian Kempe in front, and Anze Kopitar driving the net to get a good look on the rebound. Neither chances went in and the Oilers survived after a scramble in front. 30 seconds later, it’s a by the book icing, a call that was correct, but one that you regularly see go uncalled with Trevor Moore a half skate from the center line and a flipped puck it appeared could have been gloved on the way through. Edmonton gets a change, enter 97 and 29 and they make a play. The goal against late in the second, off a strong period from the Kings, turned out to be a gut punch. There was time to regroup and everyone said they should have come out better in the third. That one felt like two goals against though, when you think about what the Kings could’ve had throughout that middle stanza.

That’s how playoff hockey goes, though. The Kings had their chances in the second and as Jim Hiller said after the game, “you’ve got to score to be competitive”. The Kings weren’t able to score on their chances and left the game in a position where a puck bounced off a player’s chest and in, off an icing you could consider to be iffy, made the difference in the game. You can talk about an unlucky break and it was, but it’s a break that would have been easier to overcome, or potentially even be unimpactful, with more precision offensively leading in.

Where it leaves the Kings is in a different situation than they were this time yesterday. It’s easy to use the cliche that every point is important at this time of the year, but yesterday is a perfect example as to how important. Yesterday morning, the Kings sat third in the Pacific Division, three points shy of Edmonton for second. With a win, home ice advantage in Round 1 felt like a real possibility. A loss though, combined with a Vegas win, and the Kings dropped into the second wild card spot. A best-case swing of results would have seen the Kings one point out of second. The reality, though, resulted in a five-point gap and a current first-round matchup with Dallas, with the Kings currently the final team in, five points ahead of ninth-placed St. Louis. That’s how tight the standings are right now.

Dallas leads Colorado and Vancouver by three points for the top seed in the West. Nashville leads the Kings by three points for the top wild card spot. Vegas leads the Kings by one point in the Pacific. A couple wins here, a couple losses there and you could legitimately see four different playoff scenarios that are reasonable by the time the Kings head home from Canada. A longer lens and even more possibilities come into focus, including one that has the Kings fighting for their playoff lives. They’re firmly in control, without a doubt, and won’t leave the state of California over their last eight games. Gotta take care of business.

Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images

Additionally, regarding defenseman Jacob Moverare –

The Kings blueliner was loaned to AHL-Ontario yesterday, before last night’s game against the Oilers, and recalled again this morning.

Nothing formal with regards to his status, but he has played in nine games since he last cleared waivers and would need to clear again if he plays in a tenth. With Carl Grundstrom working his way back, the Kings will need flexibility with Moverare’s status, so we could potentially see more moves to come as the team continues through the trip. For now, consider these more to be of the paper variety, with a further update to come tomorrow as the team assesses its lineup for the Calgary game.

Forward Arthur Kaliyev was inserted into yesterday’s lineup and responded with a goal in the third period, when he saw elevated minutes as the Kings shuffled their lines. A nice moment for a player who has had a difficult second half of the season. We’ll keep an eye out tomorrow to see how the Kings approach things against the Flames and beyond.

As noted yesterday, the Kings will not practice today in Calgary. The team held an off-ice workout in preparation for tomorrow evening’s game against the Flames. I’d expect to see a full-team morning skate tomorrow at the Saddledome, with no skate today and an 8 PM local puck drop. More to follow in the AM!