Kings at Nashville: So Close, But No Cigar

What’s the most Kings typical way to lose a game? I’ll take “giving up a goal in the last thirty of the third” for $1000, Alex.

From the onset, it didn’t look like it would roll in the Kings’ favor.

The Predators and Flames are a combined 4-0-1 against the LA Kings this season.

— PumperNicholl (@PumperNicholl) December 29, 2013

Little did we know how heartbreaking it would be.

After a tough loss against the Stars, the Kings come out pretty strong, outshooting the Preds in the first. Great possession counts for naught though as the Kings came up blank on the score sheet. On the other hand, the Preds take what little possession they are given, and Patric Hornqvist scores for the Preds with the only goal of the first.

As is so often the case, Anze Kopitar: Goalscorer comes to the Kings’ rescue by shooting a pretty spectacular shot on the power play to put the Kings on the board.

I will never tire of watching him make a shot like this. It’s just so damn pretty.

Most of the third goes by without much of anything, especially by the Kings, until a penalty taken by Tyler Toffoli leads to a power play goal by Mike Fisher to take the Preds into the lead once again. With the end approaching ever nearer, the Kings pull Scrivens and this time, Anze Kopitar: Playmaker makes a nice pass to Jeff Carter who sails it past Mazenec to tie the game up with a little over 30 seconds left.

Knowing what’s coming up next makes this less fun to watch.

You would think that this would be enough to send the game into overtime, but of course not. In what seems to be a horrible and upsetting refrain, the Kings cough up the win in what I’m going to call the Hurty Thirty. As in, the last thirty seconds of the third period, in a one goal game, where it’s extremely likely that the Kings will just fall apart and let the other team score for the win, and I just cry and thrash in displeasure.

I don’t recommend paying attention to the slow-mo replay and looking at the Kings’ positioning. Gross.

The play went under review, but the call on the ice stayed. The evidence was pretty damning too.

Here’s the photo If you can blow it up it spells bad news for @LAKingspic.twitter.com/TYMP6ikSzZ — Jim Fox (@JimFox19) December 29, 2013

And for that, you don’t even deserve a loser point. Some of the overall story remains the same though, minor penalties galore and Anze Kopitar being amazing and bailing them out. It worked alright for a while because the Kings were winning regardless, but now it’s starting to tip the team over towards the losing side. After some fantastic performances, the Kings were bound to have a bit of a losing slump, but all that matters is that they regroup, and bounce back with a strong game.

The #LAKings are 5-5-1 against the Central Division and 20-5-3 against all other teams. Next up: Chicago, Dallas, St. Louis.

— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) December 29, 2013

Who’s up next? Oh it’s the Blackhawks you say? Well this should be a good test of whether the Kings can get their shit together. *sobs*