The Kings shot problem comes down to two numbers from Tuesday night: 80 shot attempts and one goal. The Los Angeles Kings (0-3-2) controlled almost every part of their 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers except the score. The next test is the Boston Bruins (5-2-0) at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, October 17, at 6 p.m. PT. The team returns to practice on Thursday at 11 a.m. at Toyota Sports Performance Center, according to LA Kings Insider.
Our Kings vs Oilers recap covered the goals and the goalie change. This piece looks at why the shots are not going in, and what Boston brings.
The Kings Shot Problem in Numbers
LA Kings Insider’s Zach Dooley went through the data in his “Angeles Analysis” column on Wednesday, using Natural Stat Trick:
- Shot attempts: the Kings led 80-37, controlling 68.4 percent of attempts. Dooley says that is the third-largest share in any NHL game this season, and 80 attempts is tied for the seventh most by a team in one game.
- High-danger chances: just 13. Dooley calls that tied for the 70th most in a single game this season, and the same number the Kings had against Florida despite nearly twice as many attempts.
- Shots on goal: 40, a season high. AP, ESPN and NHL.com all agree on that number.
The shots were mostly from the outside. “Usually when you get a lot of shots and not a lot of production, it just means you weren’t hungry enough around the net,” Trevor Moore said after the game. “We’ve got to get there, we’ve got to get in the goalie’s eyes.”
The Top Line’s Strange Start
The line of Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe is the clearest example. According to Dooley, the three were on the ice for 21 shot attempts for and only one against on Tuesday. Nine of those 21 reached the net, and none went in.
Over the season the numbers look even stranger. Among NHL lines with 50 or more minutes together, Dooley writes that Panarin, Byfield and Kempe are first in the league in share of shot attempts and second in attempts per 60 minutes. Yet they have one five-on-five goal together, Panarin’s goal in San Jose. “They’ll get theirs in time,” Dooley wrote.
Peter Laviolette said much the same after the game. He called the line “dominant at times, trying to generate in the offensive zone,” and said, “At the end of the night, there’s 40 shots and 20 plus chances on net. It’s just got to find its way into the back.”
Where the Goals Have Gone
The Kings have 11 goals in five games and have allowed 21, according to NHL.com standings. They have scored one goal or fewer in three straight games. Panarin leads the team with four points (three goals, one assist), and Brandt Clarke also has four (one goal, three assists), per NHL.com. Erik Haula nearly scored on Tuesday but hit the post in the third period, Dooley noted.
Dooley also points to the first-period breakdowns. On Connor McDavid’s goal, the Kings had held Edmonton in its zone for about 60 seconds. Then they got caught on a line change when the Oilers flipped the puck out, and McDavid came off the bench for a breakaway. “If he beats you superhumanly, you tip your cap,” Dooley wrote. “When it’s as easy as it was in the first period last night, you’ve got to look inward.”
Source Note: Clarke’s Goal
The descriptions of Clarke’s goal differ. The team’s game story says the shot deflected off Devon Levi’s arm. Dooley’s column credits a screen by Kempe and says the shot “frankly still probably should have been saved.” Moore credited a teammate’s screen after the game. These accounts are compatible, but they do not match exactly.
Goaltending Questions
Darcy Kuemper is 0-3-1 with an .847 save percentage and a 4.53 goals-against average in four games, according to NHL.com. Anton Forsberg is 0-0-1 with an .853 save percentage in two appearances. Laviolette pulled Kuemper after the first period on Tuesday. He has not said who starts Saturday, so the goalie choice is unconfirmed.
Scouting the Bruins
Boston leads the Atlantic Division at 5-2-0 with 26 goals for and 16 against, per NHL.com standings. ESPN also lists them at 5-2. The Bruins have won three straight, beating Utah 6-1, Philadelphia 5-1 and San Jose 6-3, after back-to-back losses to Minnesota and Ottawa, according to NHL.com’s schedule results. They have scored 17 goals in those three wins. They play in Anaheim on Friday, October 16, so Saturday is the second game of a back-to-back for them.
- David Pastrnak: eight points (two goals, six assists) in seven games.
- Fraser Minten: seven points, with a team-high four goals.
- Morgan Geekie: six points (one goal, five assists).
- Jeremy Swayman: 5-1-0 with a .930 save percentage and a 1.99 goals-against average.
Those numbers are from NHL.com. Because Boston is on a back-to-back, Michael DiPietro could start one of the two games. That is a reasonable guess, not a reported plan.
Injuries and Roster
Mats Zuccarello and Alex Turcotte were placed on injured reserve retroactive to October 6, so both are eligible to return Saturday. That is eligibility, not confirmation. NHL.com described Zuccarello as having resumed skating but still week-to-week, and Dooley has said the same. Kevin Fiala is still out after leg surgery. Jared Wright was sent to the Ontario Reign on Monday, per NHL.com, and the Kings dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Edmonton.
The Kings’ official highlights from Tuesday:
The video’s title says “10.14.26.” The game was played Tuesday, October 13, Pacific time.
A Reign Note
The Ontario Reign, the Kings’ AHL affiliate, beat the San Diego Gulls 3-2 on Wednesday night, per LA Kings Insider, and are now 3-1. If the Kings call someone up before Saturday, that is where the player would come from. No recall has been reported.
What to Watch Saturday
- Net-front traffic. Whether the Kings get more high-danger chances, not just more shots.
- The first period. The Kings have repeatedly fallen behind early.
- Lineup changes. Whether Zuccarello or Turcotte returns, and how many forwards Laviolette dresses.
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