Kings at Flames: Being Doused in Gasoline Seems Fun

During the chunk of this Kings’ game I spent lying on the floor, frustrated and bored, I started playing “Would You Rather” alone. Would I rather stab myself in the thigh or watch the next 30 minutes of game play? Would I rather choke on the candy I was eating or see the Flames get another small flurry of rebound chances in front of Jonathan Quick? Would I rather see another goal against from a bad team or actually set myself on fire?

Look, everyone knows that these last games against Pacific Division opponents don’t mean anything for the Kings’ playoff standings. They won the game that mattered for clinching their fifth consecutive playoff berth. Every subsequent loss means nothing in the grand scheme, but it also shouldn’t be this difficult for them to beat worse teams. And yet, here the Kings are. Another three losses in a row. What’s more annoying is that this is another one where the Kings didn’t even play poorly overall.

 
WHAT WAS GREAT

No Penalties. Since the Kings have been shamefully prone to putting themselves in shorthanded situations, going 65 minutes without taking penalty is awesome.

Possession. Though the Kings had a lazy, somewhat sloppy start, they picked it up as the first period went on and earned 57 unblocked shot attempts to the Flames’ 28 by the end of the night.

Kings defense also limited the Flames to only 18 actual shots on goal in regulation. The Flames had no shots on goal during overtime. Slava Voynov and Jake Muzzin had particularly strong nights, and rookie defenseman Andrew Campbell was also much improved in his second game with the team. He did some work to clear Quick’s crease more than once. Trevor Lewis celebrated his new two-year extensions by being on the ice for 20 shots for and only six against. Six!

Tying. A couple months ago, if the Kings gave up two goals in the first period, fans could probably safely predict that they’d lost the game already. (Remember when they gave a shutout win to Steve Mason? Hahaha, January sucked.) An opponent increasing the lead to 3-0 in the second period would’ve be the nail in the coffin. After being unable to score during the first half of the game, the Kings score two goals within 24 seconds late in the second period.

Anze Kopitar’s backhand goal is particularly lovely:

 
It’s heartening to see that the Kings have the ability to come back from multi-goal deficits this close to the postseason.

 
WHAT SUCKED

Jonathan Quick. Two even-strength goals on 7 shots on goal in the first period is awful. Quick’s even-strength save percentage had worked its way up to fourth-highest in the NHL prior to the game, but this was not reflective of that recent good work at all.

That’s really kind of it. There were a couple odd-man rushes allowed that I could nitpick, and that TJ Brodie breakaway in overtime was sort of dumb, but then it didn’t even turn into a shot.

I’ve watched this moment about 50 times, laughing at everybody in it. Good job throwing Brodie off without taking a penalty, though, Kings.

Anyway, Marian Gaborik scored during the shootout, but the Kings still lost. This game was useless.