Darcy Kuemper surrendered eight goals in the Kings’ season opener, leaving Peter Laviolette with an immediate decision to make in net.
Darcy Kuemper’s return to the Kings’ crease could hardly have gone worse.
In Wednesday night’s season opener at Ball Arena, Kuemper surrendered eight goals on 29 shots, including four on the power play, as Los Angeles was overwhelmed by a Colorado Avalanche team that has given it fits for quite some time.
Yes, the Kings didn’t do their goaltender many favors. There were defensive breakdowns throughout the night, and Colorado made them pay for virtually every mistake. But Kuemper’s preseason struggles followed him into the opener, raising an immediate question about head coach Peter Laviolette’s decision to hand him the start.
That decision looks even more puzzling given what happened the last time these teams met.
The Kings were swept by Colorado in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in April, but they were far more competitive than the final result might suggest. A big reason for that was Anton Forsberg, who repeatedly gave Los Angeles a chance to stay in games against a talented Avalanche roster.
Colorado’s power play, meanwhile, was hardly a factor during the regular season despite the Avalanche entering the postseason as the Presidents’ Trophy winners. That clearly wasn’t the case Wednesday.
Colorado scored four times with the man advantage, turning what was already a difficult night for the Kings into a rout.
And while it would be unfair to pin all eight goals on Kuemper, it’s also fair to question why Laviolette went back to him in the first place.
Kuemper struggled through the preseason, and Forsberg had already shown he could handle the pressure against Colorado. Yet when the regular season arrived, Laviolette opted for the more expensive, more established option.
The result was an eight-goal night and a very bad start to the season.
Here’s the bottom line: If you put Forsberg in net, the Kings at least give themselves a legitimate chance to win that game.
Look back at the four-game playoff series against Colorado. Forsberg allowed an average of 3.25 goals per game and, despite the Kings being swept, repeatedly gave them an opportunity to stay within striking distance. Mackenzie Blackwood, meanwhile, gave up four goals in his season debut Wednesday.
You can make the argument that Kuemper had to get the start because he’s the Kings’ $5.25 million goaltender while Forsberg makes $2.25 million. But if that’s the reasoning, fine.
Just understand that when your decision results in an eight-goal embarrassment on opening night, criticism is going to come with it.
Laviolette made the call. Now he has to own this. Either way, the Kings’ goaltending situation has suddenly become one of the biggest storylines of their young season.
The Kings don’t have much time to dwell on the loss. They’ll head to San Jose on Saturday to face Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks, giving Laviolette his first opportunity to respond to what happened in Colorado.
