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The Los Angeles Kings suffered their fourth consecutive defeat on home ice, falling 3-2 to the Calgary Flames. The setback leaves Los Angeles tied for the second-worst record across the NHL nearly a quarter of the way through the regular season.
Early Deficits and Scoring Droughts
Slow starts continue to hamper Los Angeles, who trailed 1-0 at the end of two periods against Calgary. Throughout their current four-game slump, the Kings have faced a deficit heading into the final period of every contest. Over that stretch, opponents have outscored them 10-4 through the opening 40 minutes, with Los Angeles averaging just one goal across the first two frames.
Head coach Peter Laviolette addressed the pattern of playing catch-up, noting that the team needs to establish leads rather than pursue them late in games.
“The playing from behind is not where we want to be, you want to get the first one, you want to build on it from there, and we’re not getting that done,” Coach Laviolette said. “We found ourselves behind, you know, most of this home stand and then were chasing the game, trying to push from there.”
Struggles Generating High-Danger Chances
Offensive limitations remain at the heart of the team’s slide, as the Kings have failed to register more than two goals in any matchup during the four-game drought. A primary factor has been a heavy reliance on perimeter attempts rather than generating opportunities near the opposing crease. Consequently, netminders facing Los Angeles over these four contests have each compiled a save percentage above .920.
Defenseman Brandt Clarke emphasized that the drought is not stemming from a lack of commitment or internal belief within the roster.
“We’ve had looks, we got to capitalize and next thing you know, five minutes later, then five minutes later, we keep saying it’s coming, be positive, and it hadn’t really came,” Clarke said. “It’s not from a lack of effort, it’s not from a lack of positivity, it’s not from a lack of wanting each other to succeed, its just not going in the net and its unfortunate.”
Upcoming Road Trip
Los Angeles now prepares to embark on a crucial five-game road stretch in an attempt to stabilize their campaign. Forward Quinton Byfield noted that traveling together could serve as a timely opportunity for the squad to reset and rebuild momentum.
“I think it’s a great group of guys, we’re all super close as well, but just being able to get on the road, kind of get a little closer, be with each other a lot more. You know, translate that over to the ice,” Byfield said. “I think the road trip is good and much needed right now, and we got to get back on track.”
The Kings previously collected six points during a five-game trek away from home in October, but they face heightened pressure to exceed that output this time around to keep their postseason aspirations intact.
