Darcy Kuemper gave the Kings exactly the kind of night they needed from their veteran goalie. The problem was everything after that.
Los Angeles got a strong road performance from Kuemper on Saturday night, but it still left T-Mobile Arena empty-handed after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The 36-year-old stopped 30 of 32 shots and turned in his best season showing, repeatedly bailing out the Kings and easing the load on a defense that needed every bit of help it could get.
It was the sort of outing that should have traveled. Instead, it became another frustrating chapter in a start that has gone sideways fast. The Kings are now 0-2-2, the first time in franchise history they’ve opened a season that way, and they still don’t have a road win.
For long stretches, this was there for the taking. Los Angeles never led, but the game stayed right in front of it, and Kuemper’s work in net gave the skaters plenty of chances to seize control. The score was tied 1-1 after 40 minutes, with Artemi Panarin’s power-play goal in the second period pulling the Kings level.
The third period was all tension and very little separation. Neither side could find the breakthrough, and both defenses tightened up as the game dragged deeper into the night. The Kings handled the rush well, including a key 3-on-2 breakup by Drew Doughty, but no one could deliver the go-ahead goal before overtime arrived in Las Vegas for the second time this season.
In the extra frame, Los Angeles looked close to ending it. Back-to-back plays from Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfeild seemed to have opened the door for a winner, but Carter Hart came up with the save that kept Vegas alive.
That stop proved huge. On the ensuing faceoff, Mitch Marner found the traffic and buried a shot down the middle on the Knights’ power play to finish it off.
The Kings’ offense just didn’t do enough with the chances in front of them. Even with the defense holding Vegas to a season-low two goals, LA couldn’t make the most of a game that felt well within reach. The power play was another issue, as the Kings went 1-for-3 and scored just one goal for the second straight game.
There was no shortage of effort, and there was certainly no shortage of good goaltending from Kuemper. Afterward, he walked off looking stunned, shrugging in disbelief after what was easily his strongest performance of the season.
The result only adds to the noise around a team that had a disappointing year last season and has stumbled out of the gate again. With the Kings off to an ugly start despite a better showing Saturday, the conversation around ownership and whether the franchise should shift toward a rebuild is only getting louder.
The one clear positive is Kuemper’s form. If he keeps playing like this, the Kings will at least know the crease is in order. The next step is obvious: the offense has to catch up.
Los Angeles heads back to Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday to open a two-game homestand against the Edmonton Oilers at 7:30 PM PT.
In Other News...
Kings Fans Just Got Another Reason To Watch This Reign Group
The Ontario Reign gave Kings followers another look at the organizations prospect pipeline Saturday night, rallying for a 3-2 overtime win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Acrisure Arena. Carter George steadied the Reign with 15 saves, while Victor stman faced a heavy workload for Coachella Valley and finished with 36 stops in a game that swung after a slow start for Ontario.
Cole Guttman supplied the finish in overtime, capping a comeback that started after the Reign fell behind 2-0 early in the second period. For a Kings system that leans on the Reign to develop depth and keep young talent in a meaningful environment, it was the kind of road result that usually gets noticed well beyond the AHL box score. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Homestand Puts Early Pressure On A Lineup Still Searching Fit
The early-season bump has come quickly for the Kings, who are trying to sort out their game while the results have not come with it. Defensive-zone coverage remains a point of emphasis, the offense is still working toward real chemistry, and the special teams have yet to look settled in the way this group needs if it is going to steady itself in a hurry.
This weeks homestand adds some immediate pressure, with Edmonton and Boston coming to town in the Oct. 12-18 stretch. The challenge is not just finding a spark, but making the tactical tweaks stick, especially in the neutral zone and on the power play, while a new top-line piece continues to be folded into the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Frustration Is Growing For One Very Familiar Reason
The first week of the season has already started to feel uncomfortably familiar for the Kings, who are staring at an 0-4 start after four games that have repeatedly hinged on a chance here or a finish there. Three of those losses were close enough to leave real regret, because Los Angeles had stretches where it did enough to put itself in position to grab points but could not turn those moments into a breakthrough.
Adrian Kempe and others have not hidden their irritation with how those opportunities have slipped away, especially on the man advantage, where the Kings have had chances to swing tight games and come up empty. The frustration is less about a lack of effort than a growing sense that the same missed opening keeps appearing, and until that changes, the strong moments this team has shown will keep feeling like footnotes. [Read more 🡒]