The LA Kings were unable to extend their home winning streak to three games as they skated to a 2-1 defeat against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday evening at Crypto.com Arena.
Washington used the game’s first power play to take a 1-0 lead late in the first period. After controlling the puck for the better part of a minute, the Capitals broke through at the netfront, as forward Tom Wilson buried a rebound off a shot-pass from forward Ryan Leonard for his team-leading 16th goal of the season and a one-goal lead through 20 minutes.
Early in the second period, the Kings tied the game at one through forward Adrian Kempe, who made it back-to-back games with a goal. Forward Trevor Moore made a good defensive play and outlet pass to spring a 2-on-1 rush the other way. Forward Anze Kopitar controlled the puck down the right wing and fed Kempe driving to the net for the goal, his ninth of the season, leveling the score at a goal apiece.
Coming off a Kings power play, Washington turned it back the other way just seconds after the expiration, re-taking a one-goal lead. After a shot by defenseman Brandt Clarke was blocked down, the Capitals sprung into action the other way, with forward Anthony Beauvillier driving the net and burying a feed from forward Connor McMichael for his sixth marker of the season and a 2-1 lead.
Washington hit the empty net late to secure the 3-1 win.
Hear from Kempe, forward Alex Laferriere and Head Coach Jim Hiller after tonight’s game.
Adrian Kempe
Alex Laferriere
On his assessment of the play of his power-play unit
Yeah, I think it’s really important for the power play when we’re not scoring goals to at least create some positive momentum for the team. Us being the second unit, going out there at the end of the power play, we’re the last ones out there before it goes back to 5-on-5, so if we’re not able to get one, we want to kind of have a positive shift for our team. I thought Dumo did great back there, he’s really solid d-man, he’s got a great offensive upside too.
On the continued thin margin for error for the Kings right now
I mean, it’s frustrating when it doesn’t go your way, but I think that it’s a long season and it’s going to show the resilience of our team. It seems like every night we have a close game going into the third period. I think it’s really good building blocks for our team and it’s a long season, and we’re going to need those to be wins at the end of the year. I think for us, it’s just about staying positive.
On his initiative in trying to get to the net tonight, with the team in seach of offense
Yeah, I think so. Our team, we like to play simple in the o-zone, get it to our D and kind of get havoc at the net. I think just being able to get bodies in front of the goalie and making it harder on them, making them not want to be there. I think that’s, for me, something that I really try to do. It’s obviously hard to get there but the more I can get there, it opens up for my linemates, so that’s what I try to do.
On if he sees any of the Kings in the way that Washington plays
Yeah, you could say that. I mean, they’re a really good team and obviously look at last year, they were vying for President’s Trophy and stuff like that. I think you see what they did in the playoffs too, that’s what we want to be in the playoffs and make it hard for other teams to play against us. I think it’s kind of a good thing when you look at other teams and say that teams like that play like us. It’s hard not winning a game against them, but it’s hard to win in this league.
Jim Hiller
On what he saw on Washington’s game-winning goal and how Brandt Clarke read the play
We have to be aware that the penalty is expiring, for sure, but it’s more than just him. It’s not just him, but it was a mistake, yeah.
On if it is becoming frustrating to continually need to juggle lines late in games to find offense
I mean, I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating, just trying to find a spark, right? So, we stick with it. You’re probably referring to Q going back with Kopi and Juice, he wasn’t getting a lot done in the middle with that line, so, we go back and see if there’s any magic from the old days.
On his thoughts about the power play tonight as a whole
Well, they scored one and we scored zero and they scored on the other side, so, you can’t feel very good about it. They moved it around, so that part of it was good, I thought the group with Dumoulin, the puck was moving, looked like there was some action there in and around the net. That part was good, but in the end, we give one up, basically, on our power play and I would say that was probably the difference.
On his assessment of Phillip Danault’s game tonight and this season
Yeah, I mean, probably the icetime is a bit of a reflection on the evaluation, right? It’s just, he just hasn’t really got it going yet this year and he’s not playing special teams as much, that’s always minutes. I think if you look at his even-strength minutes versus everybody else in the team, the group of forwards, it’s up there. It’s just he’s missing some of those special teams minutes and that’s why the icetime is down.
On if he thought the Kings would get a power play when Trevor Moore was slashed in the third
I did. Yeah, I think he’s in a dangerous spot. We didn’t get there very often. It looks like that’s going to be probably our best chance of the period and it’s an odd place for the stick to break.
On his assessment of Clarke
He was good. I mean, this is something we didn’t see last year, right? The play made on Beauvillier for the first goal was something that wasn’t in his game last year, and so we’ve talked about it quite a bit, he’s bigger, he’s stronger, he’s more aggressive, he can knock people off the puck like he did. It’s an excellent defensive play, excellent.
Notes –
– Winger Adrian Kempe (1-0=1) netted his ninth goal of the campaign after scoring his eighth on Saturday against Vancouver, marking the third instance this season in which he has scored in consecutive games.
– With nine points (5-4=9) in 16 career games versus Washington, Kempe is now just one point behind Drew Doughty (1-9=10 in 24 GP) for the second most points against the Capitals among active members of the Kings roster.
– Center Anze Kopitar (0-1=1) notched his ninth assist of the season with his primary feed on Kempe’s tally, marking the captain’s 22nd career point (10-12=22) in 30 games played against the Capitals.
– Kopitar (445-847=1,292) is now 15 points away from tying Marcel Dionne (550-757=1,307) for the most points in LA Kings history and is eight away from reaching the 1,300-point milestone.
– Forward Trevor Moore (0-1=1) registered his seventh assist of the season, his fourth helper in eight career games against the Washington Capitals.
The Kings are scheduled to practice tomorrow at 11 AM at Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, in advance of Thursday’s game at home against the Chicago Blackhawks.
