Through the first three home games since the return of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Kings went 2-1 and notched five points. The Kings looked to gain more points on the road against the Stars and Blues.
However, the Kings would not only lose both these games, they would be utterly embarrassed. The Kings lost to the Stars 6-2 and the Blues 4-1.
Here are three reasons as to why the Kings were dominated by the Stars and Blues:
Rough First Periods
In the last two games, the Stars and Blues combined for a whopping 10 goals against the Kings. Of these 10 goals, five of them came in the first period.
The main issue for the Kings in both of these games has been the lack of pressure on offense. On the other hand, St. Louis and Dallas were both able to attack the goal early.
Los Angeles had eight of their 31 shots on goal in the first period. This accounted for 25.8% of their total offensive attack coming from the first period.
In comparison, the Stars had 14 of their 32 shots on goal come in the first period. This results in roughly 43.8% of the Stars’ offensive attack coming in the first period.
The early shots on goal that Dallas had recorded translated into goals. The Stars scored three of their six goals in the first period.
Against the Blues, the start for the Kings was a little better but was still underwhelming. The Kings had 8 shots on goal, while the Blues had 10 shots on goal. This was enough of an edge for the Blues to seal a one-goal lead from the first.
Terrible 20 minutes from the Kings in both of these games forced them from behind. The early momentum that the Stars and Blues gained in the first period allowed both these teams to never look back.
Goaltending Mismatch
Whether it was Darcy Kuemper or David Rittich, neither goaltender could produce for the Kings. While both the Stars and Blue received great performances from their goaltenders.
Kuemper allowed six goals and finished with a .813 save percentage. Dallas was nearly unstoppable on offense due to this awful showing from Kuemper.
While the Kings had their goaltending struggles, Jake Oettinger flourished for the Stars. Oettinger saved 29 of 31 shots and finished with a .935 save percentage.
After the Stars game, Rittich received his chance to replace Kuemper against the Blues. Although Rittich wasn’t as bad as Kuemper, he was still subpar at best.
Rittich saved 30 of their 34 shots against the Blues, who accumulated a .882 save percentage. Similar to the Dallas game, this was a goaltending performance that energized the Blues.
As good as even Oettinger was for the Stars, Jordan Binnington was even more dominant for the Blues. Binnington saved 25 of 26 shots that accumulated for a .962 save percentage.
Oettinger and Binnington heavily outplayed the Kings goaltenders in their matchups. A disparity this big in the most important position in hockey did not favor the Kings.
Offensive Playmaking
The top players on the Kings could not match the playmakers from the Stars and Blues. There were standout players for the Stars and Blues that led their teams to victory.
Rope Hintz and Jason Robertson were the driving forces for the Stars offense. They both recorded at least three points, as Hintz dished out four assists while Robertson had one goal and two assists.
Dallas also received help from Sam Steel, Thomas Harley and Logan Stankoven, who all had two points. In contrast, the Kings did not have a single player who recorded two points.
To a lesser extent, the Blues also had the best playmaker on the ice against the Kings. Dylan Halloway had two points with one goal and one assist. Although two points isn’t a mind-blowing performance, Halloway still led all players with the most points.
In both of these games, Los Angeles did not have a single player record two points. Through these games, nobody was a game changer or led the offense for the Kings.
Key players for the Stars and Blue were able to thrive for their teams. The Kings did not have the best players on the ice in either game.
