Angeles Analysis – Something To Be Proud Of

“Talking to the guys after, it meant a lot to them, it probably meant more to them then I realized going into it. They must’ve talked amongst themselves and it was just a really good win for our team. We’re playing a hockey game, that’s all we can do, but clearly the thoughts are back in LA, not just with families that we know, but others. I think those guys took a lot of pride in being inspired by what’s going on, by the frontline workers, just trying to give a little bit. It’s small, but it’s a little bit back.”

That was Jim Hiller, speaking after Friday’s victory over Winnipeg.

The win over the Jets meant a little bit more than your average game.

Sure, it was a big win on the road over one of the NHL’s top teams in the standings. In overtime certainly doesn’t hurt either. But as forward Adrian Kempe said after the game, in which he scored the overtime game-winning goal, he felt like everyone in the room was playing for everyone back in LA.

Hiller shared the same. After talking more with the team the next day, it was apparent to him that the win meant more to his team than he initially realized.

Personally, I think the Kings should be proud of the way they played this weekend.

It’s not necessarily proud of the results specifically. A split in a back-to-back on the road is perfectly fine under most circumstances and I don’t think you can poke a ton of holes in this one. It isn’t the result we’re talking about here, though.

For me, it’s the way the team came together, focused and came out and played.

The Kings hadn’t played for six days before Friday’s game in Winnipeg. With Wednesday’s game being postponed, the team’s schedule was thrown off from what they had expected. They then hit the road for 10 days and considering what’s going on right now in Los Angeles, it’s certainly not an easy time to be away from family and home base. Players said as much.

When you look at the circumstances, as Jim Hiller alluded to, there were so many different outcomes on the table from these two games. Which one the Kings would ultimately find was very hard to pinpoint coming in. May have been harder to get a read on this weekend than it’s been all season long.

You could understand a team that didn’t have the mental focus in Winnipeg or the attention to detail. A team that maybe didn’t execute as sharply as we’re accustomed to seeing. Would it have been that surprising to see the Kings struggle in that Winnipeg game? I don’t think so. A team that maybe had its mind elsewhere? I’d have understood.

But they didn’t struggle. Not by a longshot. If the focus wasn’t all there, it certainly didn’t show up on the ice. From puck drop on Friday, the Kings dialed in and played their game. Same goes for the start on Saturday in Calgary. It wasn’t a pair of complete, 60-minute efforts but the team was clearly engaged in both games.

“I was concerned with how focused the guys could be and they answered that,” Hiller added.

The Kings were really strong for the first two periods in Winnipeg, bringing the style of game that’s brought them so much success at home with them on the road. They got the overtime winner they deserved from Kempe to start off the trip with two big points.

On Saturday, despite a blitzing start, the Kings ultimately got only a Jacob Moverare goal in the first period, falling short in a 2-1 game. The first period saw a number of chances, both at even strength and on the power play, but the Kings couldn’t capitalize. It was a team, though, that was dialed in to the task at hand, even if they missed out on an opportunity to make it 4-of-4 points on the weekend.

Right now, there’s something to be said for that.

Trevor Moore put it really well before the Jets game. For a few hours, the focus has to be on hockey. All the Kings can do in those moments is play a hockey game and in both Winnipeg and Calgary, I thought the focus was quite good. Quinton Byfield said yesterday that there aren’t excuses for the team not being ready right now, despite what is going on back at home. He felt the Kings were ready in both games and played hard in both games. I’d be inclined to agree.

Coming off the Winnipeg victory, Hiller said he felt really good going into the Calgary game. That win over the Jets extended the team’s winning streak to five games and he expressed confidence the Kings could get a result in a building that’s generally not provided a ton of points lately. Through 20 minutes, it felt like they’d do exactly that. Even at 1-1 through 40 minutes, it just felt like this team would find a way, as they have so often. Ultimately wasn’t the case.

The power play clearly needs to be addressed and that’s one for another day. 9.8 percent on the road and 15.5 percent in total just isn’t going to cut it. Will dive into that this week. At 5-on-5, the Kings did what they do but lacked the finish to match the chances. On another day, it’s 3-0. It was only 1-0, though, and one goal is rarely enough in this league.

I think the Kings can still take some pride in the way they dialed things in over the last 48 hours. Win or lose, they played a pair of one-goal games. As one-goal games tend to do, one went each way. The battle, focus and commitment was there on both nights. Under difficult circumstances, playing for a fanbase that has undergone far more difficult circumstances than the team on the road, the Kings came out and showed up for their city. To do so I think was commendable.

Now it’s on to Edmonton.

The Kings are here today and will have a day off after the back-to-back set. Big one on Monday against the Oilers. The games don’t count any less in the standings because of what’s happening right now in LA. As hard as it can be, in what would currently be a playoff preview, the Kings know they’ll have to show up and show out once again. If this weekend was any indication, while there’s no guarantee it will be perfect, you have to believe this team will be there once again. Because that’s what they do.