Edmonton at Kings: I Would Hope 48 Shots Gets 2 Points

The game against Edmonton was one hell of a grind, for the players as well as all of us who had to watch it.

Let’s recap: 1st period: nothing really; 2nd period: Edmonton scored, Kings scored; 3rd period: I made myself a snack; OT: nada; shootout: Kings win. THIS WAS BASICALLY THE GAME.

The Kings celebrated Jay Wells for the first of 3 Legends Nights and skated in their vintage forum blue (bullshit, that’s purple) & gold. I really wish they would wear them more often than they do because they look super rad.

Stylin’

Going into the game, in a rare moment of optimism, I thought that the Kings would handily win over the Oilers, considering them currently being Not Great and having so many injuries that I’m surprised they have enough to fill their bench.

Is anyone else’s OCD scowling at the black sheep that is the formatting of the box behind Joensuu’s picture? I mean, come ON.

Puck possession was strong with the Kings, and while they had a few good looks, nothing really came of it in the first. Kyle Clifford laid a hit on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins that sent him down to the ice, rolling in pain. He scooted off to the locker room after, but he returned to the bench not too long after. There was no call on the play, but Clifford would later be fined $2756.41 for his hit, which amounts to half a day’s pay for him. Half a day’s pay! What am I even doing with my life. I’m sitting here, eating a burrito, online shopping, and rethinking my choices.

The second period opened up with Ryan Jones avenging the hit on RNH and going to blows with Clifford. For whatever reason, Nolan and Gadzic followed up with another fight immediately after. The crowd cheers, everyone is amped, and then death, taxes and a Jake Muzzin penalty. The bad puppy slow glide towards the box is one that is getting upsetingly familiar.

After a slew of firsts last game (Kopitar, Richards and Frattin’s first goals of the year & King’s first hat trick), the Kings decided to give the Oilers a couple of firsts as well. Yakupov scored on a wrister tallying his first goal of the season, also ending the Oilers power play scoring drought which had gone 0 out of 23.

Kings, that’s not how it works. You’re not supposed to dole out firsts to other teams, just your own.

There were a couple of Edmonton penalties this period, and if you think the Kings were able to capitalize on one of them against the Oilers’ 29th ranked PK in the league, then you would be sorely incorrect.

Near the end of the 2nd, Mike Richards was able to take advantage of the slimmest of openings and a screen by Matt Frattin in order to tie the game. Can it be? A sort of fruitful 2nd period by the Los Angeles Kings?

I’m just going to read this as a short joke.

Going into the third, the Kings were firing all the shots they had at Bachman, who had been terrific for the Oilers tonight, and against the Kings in general during his career.

A beacon of hope shined when Richards scored again on an open net, but it was immediately waived no goal. While Frattin’s screen was extremely effective for Richards’ first goal, his hockey butt got called for incidental goaltender contact, thus disallowing what would have been the go-ahead goal.

But, we all cheered about it already…

With 23 shots in the third and no goal to show for it, the game goes into overtime (shocker). The refs (and half of the Staples Center) call Edmonton for a too many men penalty, but the Kings can’t seem to buy themselves a goal. Jeff Carter gets called for a pretty weak interference call, but luckily the Kings smother them, not allowing a single shot during OT.

NO SHOTS FOR YOU!

We are going to a shootout! Richards nets the first one, as does Eberle, who is currently the only person who has gotten one past Quick in the shootout this season. Bachman totally has Jeff Carter’s number on his patented backhand move and denies him, and Quick does the same for the Oilers second shooter. Kopitar just lasers one past Bachman and Nugent-Hopkins isn’t able to score one, and thank god, it’s a Kings Win.

Honestly it was a good effort by the Kings. Great possession, lots of traffic and bodies in front of the net, shots for days, but damn that puck just refused to go in. Maybe work on that one a bit, eh?