After a four-day break, the Los Angeles Kings returned to the ice with a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers.
After a four-day break, the Los Angeles Kings returned to the ice with a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers.
The Kings started hot, with Kevin Fiala burying on a two-on-one just 1:20 into the game.
The first period didn't see much action outside of the goal. Matthew Tkachuk and Adrian Kempe getting into a post-whistle scuffle was the most exciting event outside of the goal.
It was a tightly contested, low-even period.
The second period saw more of the same. Anze Kopitar scored on the power play, firing home a Fiala feed from the bumper position, to put the Kings up 2-0.
Florida nearly got onto the board shortly after on the power play, but Cam Talbot stood tall and kept the Kings up two.
The Kings held strong in the third, but Sam Reinhart broke Talbot's shutout just over halfway into the period.
Despite a strong push from the Panthers late, the Kings held on for their second win on home ice.
Here are three takeaways from Thursday's game:
Kevin Fiala With at His Best:
Both Fiala and Todd McLellan agreed last week that Fiala has not played his best hockey so far this season. On Thursday, he was at his best.
With two primary points on two Kings goals, Fiala was a game breaker against Florida. He was also more responsible with the puck and more disciplined than he's been this season.
There was the late, offensive zone elbowing penalty, but for the most part he kept a lid on things.
It was clear the four-day break had a big impact on Fiala's chemistry with his new line. They looked more comfortable together were trusted with a big shift late after Florida pulled their goalie.
The production will always be there for Fiala, but we need to see more of the complete game he played on Thursday. Minus the bad penalty, of course.
Cam Talbot With a Bounce-Back Performance:
Goaltending was a big question mark for the Kings heading into this season, but Cam Talbot has silenced a lot of those questions.
Saturday's win was Talbot's eight this season, good for second in the league, and comes after a subpar performance against the Flyers on Saturday.
He finished with 30 saves and 0.37 goals saved above expected en route to the victory.
Right now, he's giving the Kings exactly what they need, solid goaltending. He hasn't been Vezina worthy but has been more than good enough.
The Kings' solid defensive play is a big benefit for Talbot, but he's also coming up with some big saves when they're needed.
If he continues to provide this level of goaltending, that position won't be a concern for the Kings.
Special Teams the Difference:
Special teams were a big talking point for the Kings last season. Whether it was their fantastic power play or abysmal penalty kill, it always seemed to be a story.
Their special teams have been less volatile this season, but they came up huge on Thursday.
They grabbed the eventual game winner on the power play, while their kill went 5-5.
Obviously, Talbot's strong play had a major impact on their success while down a man, but the penalty kill as a whole was solid.
The Kings' new system on the kill, moving to a diamond formation and getting more aggressive, has seen a lot of success early.
If the Kings can get their power play to somewhere near what it was last season, and keep their penalty kill strong, they'll be in a great spot this season.