Tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning (18-13-3), Los Angeles (15-10-9) leaned on its defense, physical play, strong goaltending from Anton Forsberg, and Adrian Kempe’s pair of goals to snap the Kings’ four-game losing streak.
Tampa Bay struck first on their only power play on the night after a cross-checking penalty called on Kempe, giving Tampa the early 1-0 lead in the first period. But, Kempe made up for his early play by scoring two second-period goals, which proved to be the difference tonight in Tampa, shutting down the Lightning’s top 10 offense, despite the Kings being outshot 32-20.
Lightning Strike First
The opening period was fast, physical, and chaotic, with both teams trading hits and giveaways, especially the Kings, who ended the night with 20 giveaways. Tampa Bay scored its only goal of the game midway through the first period after the Kings were called for a penalty.
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Oliver Bjorkstrand was able to convert for the Lightning in the power play, finding his own rebound in front and slipping the puck through the net. Despite the goal from Tampa Bay, Forsberg did a terrific job anchoring the defense, saving 31 shots and giving up just one goal.
The Lightning also had a chance to extend their lead 2-0 to end the first period, but the goal was shut down by Forsberg after Dominic James came very close to expanding Tampa’s lead.
Kempe Takes Over In the Second
Los Angeles flipped the script to begin the second period with Kempe leading the charge.
The Kings tied the game five minutes into the period with Kempe scoring on the rush, beating Andrei Vasilevskiy from the high slot through traffic with Tampa Bay unable to close the shooting lane.
Off the goal from Kempe, Anze Kopitar assisted it, marking his 200th career point in the month of December, only the second skater to record 200 or more career points in multiple calendar months, joining Marcel Dionne.
Over 10 minutes later, Kempe delivered the decisive moment. A turnover by Pontus Holmberg helped Kempe break through the ice on a clean breakaway. The Kings winger surged past Tampa Bay’s defenders, stayed patient, and snapped the shot past Vasilevskiy to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead.
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Kings Clamp Down Late
The third period belonged to Forsberg and the defense he played on the Lightning. Tampa Bay wasn’t giving up at all, pushing hard and putting pressure on Forsberg, but he stood tall and stopped every shot that came at him.
It was a crucial game for Los Angeles because of everything they’ve gone through during their four-game losing streak, including players getting frustrated, coaching problems, and ongoing discussions about roster changes.
But the Kings can play like this on any given night, so it’s not a surprise; it’s just a question of whether Los Angeles can stay consistent, rather than be a roller coaster ride as they’ve been throughout this season.
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The Kings will head home for a three-game home stand, starting on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets (14-14-6) at 10 p.m. EST. It’ll be a good test for the Kings to see if they can start playing well at home, as they’re 4-6-4 at the Crypto.com Arena this season.
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