The Los Angeles Kings’ first 13 games have left them with a 4-7-2 record, and the numbers tell the story plainly: 36 goals scored, 45 allowed. Under head coach Peter Laviolette, the early stretch has been defined by a team still trying to find its footing at both ends of the ice.
One of the biggest issues has been shot production that hasn’t fully translated. The Kings are averaging 28.0 shots on goal per game, which ranks 26th in the league, even though their shot-attempt volume sits at 38.0 per game.
That gap between generating looks and actually getting pucks on net has become a real part of the conversation around this team. Los Angeles would benefit from more consistent traffic around the crease and more willingness to attack the middle of the ice, where scoring chances tend to get dangerous in a hurry.
That kind of pressure can force goaltenders into tougher saves and open the door for rebounds. The Kings also need quicker puck movement to make their offense work.
When the puck moves fast, the advantage swings their way. When it sticks too long, defenses have time to collapse and take away space.
After the Kings’ 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, Oct. 31, Corey Perry pointed to the way the game unfolded.
“You know, the first probably 10 minutes they had the jump on us. But I thought after that we had, you know, we had some great shifts, some great chances, and you know, they’re a good team.
They’re, they capitalized on their chances, and they made us pay, but yeah, we’ll be, we’ll be better and we’ll be ready on time.”
Even when the first shot doesn’t go in, the Kings can still create damage by staying on the puck and extending possessions. Second chances matter, and keeping that pressure alive is part of what this group has been missing.
The defensive side has brought its own problems. Los Angeles has struggled to stay sharp in key moments, and breakdowns have made it harder to finish games the way it wants.
The team needs to do a better job limiting chances around the net, communicating cleaner, holding position, and clearing rebounds before opponents can pounce. Too often, forwards have found too much room in dangerous areas.
If the Kings can clean up those mistakes, they give themselves a much better chance to settle in defensively as the season moves forward.
Amid all that, there was a bright spot in the loss to Buffalo: Martin Chromiak made his NHL debut. The Slovak forward was called up by Kings management on Oct. 29 after three seasons with the Ontario Reign, Los Angeles’ AHL affiliate. He earned the promotion after a strong start with the Reign, where he put up six goals and eight points in nine games.
The day before his debut, Chromiak spoke in El Segundo, California, about the moment and what it meant to him.
“Oh, just super grateful and thankful for the opportunity. Obviously, it’s everyone’s goal, mine too, from the first time I got here. So yeah, just super, right I’m excited.”
He also talked about the work that got him there.
“I think it just, just getting better every day. I think it was a long process for me.
The first three years, just trying to, uh, get better every day, get more ice time, beyond the ice when it matters. So I think last year was huge for me, which is, gave me a lot of trust.
So I was happy that I could score some goals and help the team, help the team win.”
And when asked what the debut meant to him, he didn’t hide it.
“This…everything since, since I was a kid. That was a dream.
So it was being this close. Yeah, it would mean everything.”
After the game, Chromiak said he immediately reached out to family when he learned he’d be in the lineup against Buffalo.
“My parents, obviously. I texted my parents or called my parents right away. And then my brother.”
As for nerves, he said the timing left little room for them.
“I think so. Uh I got pretty good sleep and wasn’t really thinking about it.
So yeah, when they called me in the morning, it was way too close, uh, to the game. So I didn’t even have time to get nervous.”
His debut doesn’t lock him into the lineup, especially with the swap involving Adrian Kempe. But after skating on the top line with Artemi Panarin and Alex Laferriere, Chromiak gave the Kings another forward to think about as they search for more scoring depth. His first NHL game gave Los Angeles one more option, and it gave Chromiak a moment he won’t forget.
In Other News...
Kings Practice Suddenly Put One Important Lineup Spot In Doubt
The Kings practice ahead of their meeting with San Jose offered a little clarity on one key front and a fresh question on another. Adrian Kempe was back on the ice after missing the previous game and is expected to be available against the Sharks, while Kevin Fiala continued to practice fully as he works through a week-to-week recovery timeline.
Brandt Clarke, though, left practice early because of an unspecified issue and did not return, leaving his status suddenly in doubt heading into the next game. Head coach Peter Laviolette did not have an immediate update, and for a Kings blue line that has leaned on Clarkes presence, the timing adds another layer of uncertainty at a busy point in the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Unveil A New Look Built Around LA Identity
The Kings are rolling out a fresh alternate look this season, with the new Hometown Remix jersey set to debut as part of an NHL-wide program and lean heavily into Los Angeles street and art culture. It is a design meant to connect the franchises present-day identity with its 60-year history, giving the team another way to reflect the city it represents.
The jersey will be part of the Kings Wednesday home schedule, beginning with the Nov. 4 game against San Jose, and it will show up repeatedly at Crypto.com Arena over the course of the season. There is one notable exception on the calendar, though, when the focus shifts to a far bigger franchise moment and the new look will stay in the closet. [Read more 🡒]
Gustafssons Rise Is Exposing A Bigger Kings Blue Line Problem
Erik Gustafsson has gone from an afterthought to one of the more important pieces on the Kings blue line, a sharp turn for a defenseman who played only two NHL games last season and spent most of the year in the AHL. This season, he has brought a level of puck-moving and offense that Los Angeles was missing on defense, and his rise has been one of the quieter reasons the back end has looked more functional at times.
The bigger question is what it says about the rest of the group. The Kings have leaned on several defense pairings, but the overall picture has been uneven, with Gustafsson standing out as the rare blue-line regular tilting play in the right direction. For a team trying to sort out its defensive identity, that makes his emergence useful and a little revealing at the same time. [Read more 🡒]