The LA Kings’ six-game point streak has come to an end following their 2-1 defeat against the Calgary Flames. Despite a hard-fought battle, the Kings were unable to capitalize on their Grade-A chances, while the Flames’ goalie Jacob Markstrom played an outstanding game.
Overview of the Game
Calgary opened the scoring with a powerplay goal early in the first period, but the Kings’ defenseman Sean Durzi tied it up through a series of one-touch passes. The Flames took the lead once again towards the end of the first period, and neither team scored in the final 40 minutes of the game. Despite several Grade-A chances for the Kings, they were unable to tie up the game in the third period.
Korpisalo’s Debut Loss
Kings’ goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 30 saves on 32 shots in his first regulation loss with his new team. However, he turned in another quality start and allowed only two goals to keep his team in the game.
McLellan’s Critique
Kings’ coach Todd McLellan felt that their overall game management was poor, as they extended their shifts to look for offense and ended up costing time in their own zone. While McLellan praised both goaltenders – Korpisalo for making some good saves and Markstrom for being a first star – he knew that his group left some things to be desired in terms of their game.
Coach McLellan’s Decision
McLellan has a tough decision to make regarding his goalie rotation as every game truly matters now. Copley faced the Oilers on Jan. 9 and made 28 stops in a 6-3 win; however, there isn’t enough time left in the schedule to run with a platoon and see which one naturally emerges as the lead goalie. McLellan has to decide who is going to give the Kings the best chance against the Oilers, and whether to stick by his rotation or make an adjustment for the most important game to date.
Notes
Despite the loss, Sean Durzi scored his third point over his last two games and tied with Drew Doughty for the second most goals by a defenseman this season. Arthur Kaliyev and Carl Grundstrom each collected assists, and Korpisalo dropped his first game in regulation as a member of the Kings organization.
In conclusion, the LA Kings’ point streak may have ended, but they still have a lot of fight in them. While Markstrom’s performance was a big difference in the game, the team knows they need to improve their overall game management if they want to continue chasing for a playoff spot. With only a few games left in the schedule, the Kings can’t afford to make easy calls and must lean on one goalie moving forward.
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