Heading into this game against the Devils, the Kings were the hottest team in the NHL. However, New Jersey snapped a six-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory over Los Angeles.
The offensive performance was a complete disaster for Los Angeles as they could not generate enough opportunities. The Kings only had 12 total shots throughout the entire game. The Devils had more than double that amount with 26 shots.
Defensively, the Kings were outmatched as the Devils brought more physicality in the low shooting game. New Jersey had 27 hits while the Kings only had 18. The hits from the Devils were a replication on how New Jersey limited the offensive flow for the Kings.
Despite getting massively outplayed, the Kings had a golden opportunity to win. With under five minutes left in the second period, Jordan Spence gave Los Angeles the first goal of the game. Although Ondrej Palat responded with a goal for the Devils to even it up, the Kings were still on pace with the Devils.
Even though the Devils would prevail in the third period, the Kings kept it close with a top four team in the league standings. This wasn’t even a good performance for the Kings, but they were in a tied battle against a Stanley Cup contender.
Through the six-game winning streak, the Kings defeated top tier teams such as the Jets, Stars and Wild. However, in the regular season there are bound to be lapses for any team and for the Kings it was against a strong team like the Devils.
Los Angeles has 37 points and are only 2 points behind first place in the Pacific Division. There are plenty of games left for the Kings to make up ground on the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
This loss to the Devils doesn’t take away from the great stretch the Kings had prior to this game. Battling against a good team despite having a flat performance does not mean the Kings are suddenly in a downward spiral.
The Kings have shown to be a good team this season and are still in prime position to continue their success. Even though Los Angeles lost their winning streak, the Kings are still playing great hockey.
