The Kings had their chances in the home opener, but Florida found the one play that separated the night.
Los Angeles grabbed the first lead Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena, yet the Panthers answered with two goals and left with a 2-1 win. Alex Laferriere supplied the Kings’ lone tally late in the opening period, but Seth Jones tied it early in the second and Matthew Tkachuk delivered the winner midway through the third.
Laferriere’s goal came with 60 seconds left in the first, and it was built on a hard-working shift from start to finish. He dumped the puck in with speed, won the race to the corner and helped keep the play alive. After Erik Haula came away with the puck below the goal line and circled behind the net, Laferriere finished off the rebound for his first goal of the season and a 1-0 Kings lead after 20 minutes.
The advantage didn’t last long once the second period got rolling. After an extended Kings power play produced nothing, Florida turned the other way and evened things up. Jones collected the puck in transition from Lars Eller, drove toward the net and shifted it onto his forehand before lifting a shot upstairs past Darcy Kuemper.
The Panthers then took control late in the game. A turnover by Brandt Clarke in the neutral zone gave Florida a chance with numbers, and Sam Bennett slid the puck to Tkachuk on the left wing. Tkachuk beat Kuemper to make it 2-1, and that score held the rest of the way.
In Other News...
Kings Now Sit At Center Of A Worrying Brad Marchand Story
A routine game against the Kings turned uneasy when Brad Marchand exited with what appeared to be a lower-body injury after getting caught by a stick and tumbling into the net. He needed help off the ice, and the scene raised immediate concern after he was unable to put weight on his left leg.
The Florida Panthers still have not offered an official diagnosis or return timeline, leaving the situation open-ended for now. Further testing is expected, and until that brings more clarity, the Kings find themselves attached to a story that could have a much bigger impact beyond one night in Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Suddenly Face A High-Stakes Goalie Decision
The goalie market has a way of shifting the conversation quickly, and Connor Hellebuyck has become the name to watch with Winnipeg continuing to field questions about its future in net. Insider David Pagnotta has floated several clubs that could eventually check in, with Buffalo, Utah and Carolina among the more obvious candidates, while also noting that the Jets are not operating from a position of urgency because they have enough depth to avoid forcing a move.
For the Kings, the intrigue comes from the possibility of being pulled into a conversation that has not yet fully taken shape. Any serious pursuit would have to be weighed against the kind of asset cost that usually comes with a premium goaltender, and Los Angeles would need to decide how far it wants to go if the market starts to heat up. Right now, it is less about an imminent deal than about whether the Kings become one of the teams willing to make the call when things get serious. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Already Have An Early Problem Fans Feared
Darcy Kuempers return to Crypto.com Arena gave the Kings a steady night in net, but it still wasnt enough to pull them out of their early-season skid. Alex Laferriere opened the scoring for Los Angeles, and for a while it looked like the kind of start that could settle everyone in after a shaky opening to the year.
Instead, Florida answered, then got the go-ahead goal from Matthew Tkachuk, and the Kings own issues around the puck only added to the frustration. Los Angeles came up empty on five power-play chances, generated just 20 shots, and left the building still searching for its first win after three games, which is not the sort of early rhythm this group wanted to be chasing. [Read more 🡒]