The LA Kings skated to one of their worst defeats of the 2025-26 season, a 6-2 loss against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena.
Utah opened the scoring just 2:31 into the game, off the rush, to take an early 1-0 advantage. After Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson turned the puck over in the neutral zone, Mammoth defenseman John Marino attacked down the right wing and found forward Alexander Kerfoot driving the net, with the Utah forward deflecting the puck past Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper for the one-goal lead.
The Mammoth then doubled their lead inside the final four minutes of the opening period. Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev intentionally iced the puck, with forward Logan Cooley winning the race down the ice. Cooley took the puck off the endboards in stride and beat Kuemper through the five hole for his 19th goal of the season and a 2-0 advantage for the Mammoth.
With just over two minutes remaining in the opening period, the Kings pulled a goal back through forward Anze Kopitar. Cycling through the offensive zone, defenseman Joel Edmundson teed up forward Adrian Kempe for a shot from the center point, with Kopitar getting a deflection on the way through for his 12th goal of the season, bringing the hosts within 2-1 at the first intermission.
The visitors made it 3-1 inside the final 10 seconds of the first period, to take a two-goal lead into the first intermission. Skating on the game’s first power play, Cooley doubled his tally for the evening as he cut inside of Anderson, coming off the right-hand circle, and placed his shot top shelf, on the blocker side, for his second goal of the evening and a 3-1 advantage.
Midway through the second period, Utah opened up a three-goal advantage. Attacking 2-on-2, the Kings allowed Kerfoot tons of time off the rush as he moved down the right side. Kerfoot kept the puck himself, unpressured, and beat Kuemper from close range high on the blocker side for his second goal of the game and his fifth tally of the season, giving the visitors a three-goal advantage.
Skating on their second power play of the game, the Mammoth made it 5-1 with another goal on the man advantage. Forward Clayton Keller worked the puck into the slot with a backhanded pass, finding the skate of forward Nick Schmaltz. Schmaltz kicked the puck onto his stick and ripped a quick shot, past Kuemper and in, for his 27th goal of the season and a four-goal lead late in the middle stanza.
Early in the third period, the Kings pulled one goal back, as Kempe picked up his second point of the evening. Kempe shuffled up to the center point and got a shot off from up high, through lots of traffic and in, as he buried his 27th goal of the season to bring the hosts within 5-2.
With the goaltender pulled for the extra attacker, the Mammoth got the final goal of the night, from forward Jack McBain, to seal the game at 6-2.
Hear from Kopitar, defenseman Drew Doughty and Interim Head Coach D.J. Smith after tonight's defeat.
