LAK AT 14: ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

LOS ANGELES, CA — After watching the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams stagger through another poor offensive performance in Tampa Bay that puts their playoffs hopes on thin ice, it may be time for Sean McVay to reach out to a coaching staff whose team is clicking on all offensive cylinders just up the 110 from Sofi Stadium.

Though Todd McLellan and his crew can’t give advice on blocking schemes or play calling, there’s something in the ice at Crypto.com Arena these days that has the Los Angeles Kings producing at a clip not seen in years around downtown.

As they’ve done numerous times in the season’s first month, the Kings opened a four-game homestand with a stirring and exciting 5-4 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday in a manner that pushes their identity even further from last season’s playoff qualifier.

As McLellan reiterated in his post-game press conference, the season’s team stood to be different than the one that lost a tough seven-game series to the Edmonton Oilers as soon as Game 7 in Alberta last May reached its conclusion. A claim that was not unexpected given retirement, free agency, trades and emergence of younger players that altered the roster.

But the degree of change the Kings have undertaken (and it’s not all for the better) is something I didn’t see coming.

The difference between this season’s offense and last season’s is night and day – not only statistically (they are 11th in scoring), but mentally. There is a level of creativity and confidence (led by Gabriel Vilardi and Kevin Fiala) present that has moved them from dead last in 5-on-5 shooting percentage to a top-10 standing.

While the offense has produced more goals and excitement, it hasn’t translated into more wins than in 2021-22.

Through 14 games last season, Los Angeles registered an 8-5-1 record by virtue of a seven-game winning streak after a 1-5-1 start. This season, it’s not about streaks but rather the inability to get on a roll, primarily due to poor play at the other end of the ice. With the revamped defense still looking to gel, it may be a few more weeks before they move the needle closer to their style of play in previous seasons under McLellan. This season’s team may be tough to play against (one of McLellan’s charges to his team) but it stems from execution from the offense not the defense.

To support the new version of Kings hockey, I’ll refer to the seven-game winning streak that kept the hounds from the door and was an impetus to playoff contention. The list of the victories are as follows:

• Oct. 30, 2021: 5-2 win over Montreal

• Oct. 31, 2021: 3-2 win over Buffalo

• Nov. 3, 2021: 3-2 SO win over St. Louis

• Nov. 5, 2021: 3-2 OT win over New Jersey

• Nov. 8, 2021: 5-1 win over Toronto

• Nov. 9, 2021: 3-2 OT win over Montreal

• Nov. 11, 2021: 2-0 win over Ottawa

Los Angeles may fashion a seven-game winning streak this season, but it won’t be produced by surrendering 11 goals in seven games. They’ve given up two goals or less in four of 14 games, while giving up at least four goals in nine games. And they’ve needed every goal as they have surrendered as many (33 goals) at 5-on-5 play.

That defensive record would normally have a team floundering near the bottom of the division, if not the conference, but other than the Vegas Golden Knights, no one is setting the Pacific Division on fire. The newly found offensive confidence may be playing into the defensive woes, trying to make plays without the attention to detail needed if they don’t thread the needle in this newly creative offense.

While the ability to create offense has become crucial in a league where scoring continues an upward climb, the questions about why they have staggered out of the gate so poorly defensively remain. The process of making the defense sturdier depends on your assessment of the defensive corps.

Unless Aaron Donald decides to hang up his cleats and strap on the skates this winter, there will not be a significant defensive presence added to the roster. If you evaluate the blueline depth chart as one that can fashion 45 wins and 100 standings points, then the execution needs to be far better.  Under the category of puck management, what’s hurt this team is the inability make the simple play, the easy pass to clear the zone that negates the forechecking pressure applied by the opposition.

If you think it’s more about talent than execution, just point at the left side of the defense. After the top pair of Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson, Los Angeles is still trying to figure out the bottom-four defense.

Brandt Clarke – on the cusp of burning the first year of his entry-level contract – has played in nine of 14 games and while he doesn’t look overwhelmed, the promise of dynamic play in his toolbox will take awhile to surface. Sean Walker, who was anointed to be the solution for the left side on the second pair has been moved down the lineup and back to his natural side on the third pair. Alex Edler is being used properly, less than 15 minutes a night as a third pair defenseman, a significant stepdown from the 18+ minutes a night from last season.  

For the moment, Sean Durzi has been asked to shift to the left side along with Matt Roy, a big ask for a player entering his second season. Their complementary styles (Durzi’s flair, Roy’s responsible play) would seem to be a fit and while their advanced stats are solid (Corsi, expected goals %), their play has been dotted with giveaways (surprisingly the steady Roy leads the team in defensive zone giveaways per moneypuck.com) that hope to be curbed with more familiarity.

But even if the defense was close to flawless, if they can’t get saves from their goaltenders it will be a long season. Los Angeles is in the bottom-five in save percentage and only three teams surrender more high danger chances – the formula that produced 7-6 and 5-4 wins and categorize them as a “high event team.” Neither Jonathan Quick nor Cal Petersen has fashioned a start that shows they are ready to get the lion’s share of the work. Yes, save percentages aren’t solely a function of a goaltender’s play but neither has stolen a game (according to our friends at Sportlogiq), either. It’s a rarity for a team to make the post-season with sub-.900 save percentage from both goaltenders and they will need better from both as the season lengthens.

If you assume the overall execution and game management will improve as the season progresses, imagine what the offense can be with more familiarity. Vilardi and Adrian Kempe have been dangerous options for Anze Kopitar, the Trevor Moore-Phil Danault-Viktor Arvidsson trio appears to be rounding into last season’s form with the return of the Swedish winger’s health. Kevin Fiala is not a third line player (his spot on the current depth), his creativity and passing ability is on par with the best in the NHL and he must be placed alongside more skilled players. Will he be an option to pair with Quinton Byfield once he returns to full health or will Vilardi shift back to the RW3 slot he started the season?

A very different Kings team than last season?

Through 14 games, the answer is a resounding yes – but the question to be answered is if it is a better one.