The Kings returned home after a three-game road trip in the central time zone and faced off against the Central Division’s St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night. Looking to snap a four-game losing streak, the Kings fell 3-2 in a shootout, earning just their second point in the last five games (0-3-2).
It took almost the whole first period for the game’s first goal on Wednesday. Coming with just 1:10 remaining in the period, an untimely pinch from the Kings resulted in a 2-on-1 for the Blues. Entering the Kings zone with time and space, Jake Neighbours baited Darcy Kuemper with the potential backdoor pass and shelved the puck short-side high to give the Blues the 1-0 lead. Not trailing for long, Quinton Byfield and the Kings responded 32 seconds later to even the score with 38 seconds to go in the period. Gaining the offensive zone with possession and speed, Byfield dished the puck off to linemate Kevin Fiala. Byfield proceeded to work his way back open and took the pass from Fiala with space in the high slot. Not hesitating, Byfield immediately ripped a wrist shot high glove side and past Jordan Binnington to even the score going into the first intermission. Byfield’s goal marks the 12 of his season and is his sixth point (1-5=6) in the last six games. As for Fiala, his helper now gives him his sixth consecutive season of at least 40 points (24-16=40).
The Kings second period was their best of the three stanza’s, but just like the first 20 minutes, the 20-minute segment yielded one goal each from both sides. The Kings took the lead at the midway point into the game and did so behind a little bit of puck luck. After moving the puck from low to high up to Mikey Anderson, the defenseman countered and dumped the puck off the back end boards back behind the Blues net near Trevor Moore. Moore didn’t gather the puck cleanly, but as he deflected the puck to the front of the net, an out of position Binnington kicked the puck into his own net. Moore was credited with his 12th goal of the season and put the Kings up 2-1 with 9:46 to go in the period. Now leading late in the second, a Fiala penalty put the Blues on their fourth power play of the game with 55 seconds remaining in the period. Having previously killed of the Blues three prior power play attempts, it was fourth time’s the charm for visitors as it took just eight seconds into the man advantage for the score to be tied 2-2. Extending his point streak to 11 games was the goalscorer Robert Thomas, who beat Kuemper in the slot with a shot past the goalie’s glove hand.
The Kings began the third period on an abbreviated 1:33 power play and then had another two-minute man advantage beginning at the 1:58 mark of the period, but came up empty handed to keep the game’s score at two’s. The Kings spent the majority of the remaining 16 minutes in their own end, but a late Moore breakaway in the last 10 seconds of regulation allotted the best chance to break the tie. The attempt went unsuccessful and each team guaranteed themselves at least one point on the night.
After being outshot 29-19 in regulation, the Kings dominated overtime and outshot the Blues 4-1 in the five-minute overtime session. Unfortunately, no goals came from the four shots and the game went to a shootout.
There, the Kings fell 2-1 as the Blues came out victorious after three rounds.
Kings: ❌ ❌✅
Blues: ✅❌✅
