The Los Angeles Kings kicked off their home opener with a 5-2 loss against the Colorado Avalanche.
The Los Angeles Kings kicked off their home opener with a 5-2 loss against the Colorado Avalanche.
Seven minutes in Mikko Rantanen found Nathan MacKinnon with a great feed in front which MacKinnon finished.
It's never ideal to surrender the first goal, but there wasn't much Los Angeles could do on the opener, sometimes elite players just beat you.
The Kings struggled to establish any rhythm in the first period and weren't helped by penalty issues for both teams.
The first period saw five total penalties but no power-play goals.
It wasn't the worst period of hockey we'll see from the Kings this season, but it wasn't pretty either. It was the first meaningful period of hockey for the team this season and you could tell there was some rust to shake off.
One big positive from period one was the Kevin Fiala - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Alex Laferriere line. The three of them consistently controlled position and had the Kings' best chances of the period.
The Kings then went behind by two early in the third after two quick Colorado goals. First from Cale Makar on the power play, then from Rantanen on a tight-angle shot.
Carl Grundstrom's lazy trip in the neutral zone sent Colorado to the power play, but Grundstrom made up for it with a goal soon after.
Grundstrom forced a turnover with a strong forecheck and then went to the net, re-directing Phil Danault's centering feed top shelf.
Just under 11 minutes into the period, Dubois clipped Frederik Olofsson which drew a big crowd. In the ensuing scrum, Laferriere and Logan O'Connor dropped the gloves. It was Laferriere's first career fight and clearly sparked a fire for the Kings.
After the fight, the Kings began to carry the momentum and finally capitalized on it with just five seconds remaining in the second period.
After a center-ice draw, Anze Kopitar flipped the puck into the zone and on net. Alexander Georgiev flubbed the puck right to Quinton Byfield who centered it off Makar and in.
The Kings then started the third period strong with all of the momentum, but had it taken away just under five minutes in. MacKinnon beat out an icing and the puck found its way to Jack Johnson at the point who floated a shot in which was tipped past Cam Talbot by Rantanen.
The Kings struggled to mount any kind of comeback despite a few power-play opportunities before Miles Wood sealed the game with an empty netter later.
It wasn't a terrible game to start the season, but wasn't ideal either. Against a team like the Avalanche, you have to be at your best and the Kings weren't.
Things don't get easier for the Kings on Saturday with the Carolina Hurricanes coming to town.