INSIDER: Trevor Moore Returns w/ Storybook Ending

It’s always pretty cool when you see the storybook return to the lineup.

When forward Trevor Moore scored the go-ahead goal for the Kings midway through the third period, which at the time would have stood up as the game-winning goal at 4-3 in St. Louis, it looked like he might've found that kind of ending.

It’s never that easy for this iteration of the LA Kings though, is it?

The Kings surrendered a late lead, as another game for this team went into overtime. After three rounds, the game remained tied. Up stepped Trevor Moore, historically a strong shootout performer, and he buried the next best thing – the game-deciding goal - as he picked the top corner from the slot to secure a victory on the road.

Turns out, he got the storybook ending to his return after all.

“It just feels good to be back and playing and I'm just grateful for that,” Moore said after last night’s game. “To see one go in, in an important moment, always feels good."

For Moore, he’s missed the last 11 games with an upper-body injury. Yesterday in St. Louis was his first game in the month of January. It’s been a long road back and a situation that was anything but a straight line.

Heading into the game against Tampa Bay on January 1, Moore didn’t feel right and was held out. He practiced in full the next day and took the morning skate on January 3 but that was his last practice with his teammates until Thursday of this past week, when he re-joined the group. In between, Moore worked extremely hard on his own, but it took some time to get back to a regular workload.

He was finally able to ramp it back up this week. He took part in a full-contact practice and joined the Kings on the trip. When they left Los Angeles, it didn’t feel certain that he would play, though by Saturday morning, it became more clear that he would be activated from injured reserve later in the day and not only would he return to the lineup, but he would do so on Quinton Byfield’s line, which means no easing his way back in.

“Close to 20 minutes of icetime,” Kings Head Coach Jim Hiller said first after the game. “Mooresie is such a reliable, dependable player, has been for a long time for the franchise. We clearly missed him but he had to get healthy and you just see how important he is to the team.”

In total, as Hiller noted, Moore logged 19:43 in time on ice during his first game back, including shifts in overtime. It was apparent, though, from the first shift, that he was on.

He had one of the best looks the team had all night, on his forehand from the slot, forcing a strong early save from St. Louis netminder Joel Hofer. Had another good look on the backhand after an aggressive take off the wall, through the circle and towards the slot. Narrowly missed the top corner.

In total, Moore led the Kings with eight shot attempts in all situations, including a team-high seven at even strength. While he was modest after the game, saying it took a few shifts to get back into it, it certainly didn’t feel like it in watching him from above.

“I didn't notice any rust in his game whatsoever,” Hiller added. “He's been skating and working hard with [assistant coach] Derek Johnson, so that part translated pretty well. I think Armia was the same thing, coming back, jumped right in, played big minutes. I really liked his game as a whole.”

Didn’t seem that way to his teammates either. Pretty clear there were a lot of smiles for Moore and what he did, especially when those in the room have seen how hard he’s worked to get back to this point.

Meant something to the guys in the room. Was nice to see him back.

“We see him at the rink every day, working his hardest and we need a guy like him in the lineup every single night and to not have him, it stinks, but to see how hard he's pushing to get back with us, knowing how bad he wants to be out there with us, it's huge,” forward Alex Laferriere said. “Then, when we get him out there and he's there and he's scoring those goals, it's unbelievable. It really revives our team.”

Could just see it on the ice how happy the guys were for him when he got the goal. As he went through the line. Could hear it in what Laferriere said after the game. Means something to the guys in the room and it while it would have been important to win however they could, having Moore be the star of the show made it just that much more special.

Still, it took that little bit extra from Moore in the skills competition to get the job done.

The Kings gave up a late goal, 6-on-5, heading to the most familiar place they've been all year. Overtime. After five minutes came and went, with Moore involved, the game progressed into the shootout.

And, when it came to a decision in sudden death, there should’ve been no doubt Moore would be called upon. Perhaps he should have been in the originally selected three shooters. Since the NHL introduced the shootout in the 2005-06 season, 301 players have at least 20 career shootout attempts. Of those 301 players, only 11 have converted at least 50 percent of those attempts. Moore is one of those 11 players, at 10-of-20 for his career.

Not many guys more effective than that.

When it came down to it, Moore went with a tried and true approach, as he used his quick release to elevate the puck quickly and bury a shot top shelf, before the goaltender could even really react. We’ve seen it in shootouts, on breakaways and even just off the rush. It’s such a unique release and when he’s on, he’s using it to his advantage. Specifically in shootout situations, he was ready to go.

“I’m confident, I believe I can do it for sure and it’s fun to be put in those situations and to have the confidence from the guys, to know you can score,” Moore said.

Now, with Moore back, the Kings can certainly use more games like that.

For a team that has consistently struggled to score goals, Moore is capable of finding them in bunches, even if we really haven’t seen it enough from him this season. Goes for a lot of guys. But he’s not a six-goal scorer. He’s got more in him than that. And if the Kings are going to pull themselves out of where they’ve been for pretty much the entire season, they’ll need Moore to be one of the guys who helps them do it.

Not to suggest he’s the team’s savior. Even without the production last night, would’ve just been nice to see him out there, buzzing around again, bringing the game he did yesterday after being out for nearly a month. But it was really encouraging to see him get the reward for it by doing the right things and playing the way we've seen him play when he's been at his best.

For a team in need of points, to have the storybook ending to his return was nice in more ways than one. For Moore and for the Kings, hopefully that book still has a couple of sequels in store.