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Kings Take Ugly Win vs. Islanders, Keep Playoff Pressure On

Credit © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Wonky, wacky, just plain weird.

The Los Angeles Kings beat the New York Islanders to finish a perfect three-in-four-game stretch in a game that included eight minor penalties and two disallowed goals in one period.

Outside of these three 'W' adjectives, the Kings took the lead and never looked back despite a rush goal by Anders Lee, who was up to his usual tactics all game, being in and around the net. LA was never fully out of control, but despite the reflected score, it did not look like the structured and defensively sound team we are so used to seeing playing at the Crypto.com arena.

What fueled this was the gap control and overall game management, which completely slipped away in the second period.

In the second period alone, via NST, the Kings were outchanced 14-11. Those 14 chances were the vast majority of the 19 the Islanders would put up in three periods total. Five of the eight high danger chances the Isles had come in the middle frame. Fortunately for the Kings in this game, they had Darcy Kuemper, and in all reality, they faced the Islanders.

That's no intended disrespect for a franchise with its own deeply embedded legacies in the sport; it's a team that traded away its heart and soul player in Brock Nelson and currently has star player Matthew Barzal off the ice. It's a team with significant hurdles to make the playoffs this season, with the sands of time trickling away now with five weeks more or less left in the season. It's a team with a dead-last powerplay that looked every bit the part despite the disallowed goals.

For the Kings, that's a much-needed win to keep their home playoff aspirations flowing. Those aspirations would be fleeting if the team wasn't bailed out last night. The vast majority of the team gave it their 'C+' game, except for Kuemper, who was excellent. With a .971 SV%, I don't believe anyone wouldn't say that without Kuemper, this game is possibly as ugly as that middle frame was supposed to be.

Those wins are typically the type of games mid-tier teams lose, even if the game of hockey is finicky, with bounces going in and out for the good or the bad. It's been said, though, that good teams can sometimes get by on their 'B' game and, in this instance, their 'C+' game.

That was on full display last night, and the Kings were fortunate it was the Islanders and their 0-8 powerplay.

There are some positives from last night; it isn't all dread and gull. While the top line cratered, it was the fourth line, the newly formed line for just three games now, that stood out in their limited time on ice. None of three would break eight minutes of TOI, which certainly doesn't help to take them out of the game due to the eight penalties. But, at even strength, for reference, the trio of Alex Turcotte, Samuel Helenius, and Tanner Jeannot played just ten seconds shy of the Quinton Byfield line and a minute under the Phillip Danault line.

The three had the highest Corsi out of any line combination, at 64.29% during the game. The three out-chanced the opposition 5-3 and were the only line with a superior high-danger chance margin against the Isles: 3-0. That's a massive sign of progression as the line starts to gel as a fixture into the lineup, keeping an organizationally loved player like Trevor Lewis in the press box (11-2-2 now with Lewis out).

It's as if, at first, I didn't believe when Rob Blake said at his Trade Deadline press conference that Helenius would be a factor down the stretch. Well, shoot. He's formed an identity line that has been very good for these LA Kings.

So, while most people will be singing the praises of Byfield, and in all respects, that's certainly something to keep on eye on for scoring four straight. Byfield's shot was a laser, beating one of the top tenders in the league, and his confidence must be burgeoning right now. However, it is also a reminder of a comment made earlier: Hockey is a finicky sport. A broken stick off of a pass reception, not a shot? What are the odds?

Certainly, lower than the odds of the Islander player calling his stick sponsor postgame.

There is an underlying story about how this new line is starting to become a factor. The Kings are now becoming a team that can roll four lines, albeit at home for now (the Helenius line did perform well on the road in Vegas). The team will need that down the stretch and certainly some maintenance days for Drew Doughty (who had one before the game) despite the ascension of Mikey Anderson playing more minutes over the longtime rearguard.

Jim Hiller should throw the 37-year-old Anze Kopitar into that maintenance bucket, too.

The team will need to review this one and chop it up at the end of the day, as their next opponent would be salivating to have eight powerplays and a plethora of rush chances despite coming into the hardest barn to play in the league. A reunion on Figueroa for Pierre Luc Dubois and a quick turnaround back towards Kings hockey.

Since, in all fairness, that game against the Islanders opened a portal of time back toward Willie Desjardins hockey.

Take the two points. The team is now breathing on Edmonton's neck (78-77 points with a game in hand). Rinse and move on towards what should be an epic collision of two franchises on Thursday.