LOS ANGELES — The Kings played host to a dangerous Stars team on Saturday night as they looked to grab a signature win in front of the home crowd. The battle could not have started any better for Los Angeles, as Kevin Fiala scored the game’s first goal just 26 seconds into the opening period. From that point on, however, there were not many positives for the Kings at all. They would take their 1-0 lead into the second period before goals from Radek Faksa and Jason Robertson within 20 seconds of each other would boost Dallas out in front 2-1. In the third period, things would only become more out of hand for Los Angeles as two more scores from Wyatt Johnston and Joe Pavelski gave the Stars a 4-1 lead. They would eventually reach the finish line without any extra drama and hand the Kings their 20th loss of the year.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Los Angeles gets shutout for 59 minutes of the game
Things were looking ideal for the Kings in the first 30 seconds on Saturday night thanks to Kevin Fiala’s 21st score on the season. He wasted no time taking advantage of a rocket that came off the stick of Drew Doughty that he was able to push into the net and break open the scoring.
Unfortunately, this was the only positive piece of momentum that Los Angeles was able to obtain for the rest of the contest. They went the remainder of the game trying their best to keep up with Dallas but were unable to get anything past goalie Scott Wedgewood. He saved 24 consecutive shots from the Kings following Fiala’s score and helped the Stars sail to a rather smooth victory to improve their road record to 21-9-5 this season. As for Los Angeles, their home record dropped to 13-11-7 and they officially lost the season series against Dallas. The two squads will meet just once more this season on March 16 with the Stars already having won the two previous matchups. Hopefully, the Kings will be able to salvage the next one and gain a few revenge points.
Adrian Kempe returns to the lineup
While the Kings did not have a fun time on Saturday night, it was good to know that they gained back right-winger Adrian Kempe. He had missed the previous five games with an arm injury, but found himself available against Dallas and back on the ice. He would manage nearly 21 minutes of time on the ice in his return despite having a quiet night. So far this season, the 27-year-old has 19 goals and 32 assists, giving him the third-most points on the roster so far this season. Kempe has now eclipsed the 50-point mark in three consecutive campaigns and would need 17 more by the end of the regular season to reach a new career high. Although he and the rest of the squad did not have their best stuff against Dallas, his return to the lineup will definitely make things easier for Los Angeles moving forward as he helps to bolster the Kings’ top line.
Talbot has rough second period in the loss
It seems as if one of the main themes of the battle between Dallas and Los Angeles was quick scoring. It was Kevin Fiala who broke the ice less than 30 seconds into the game, but the Stars would eventually share the last laugh. Kings’ goalie Cam Talbot got the start and performed nicely through the first period as his team headed to the second with a 1-0 lead. It was at this point that Dallas would break out a couple of quick goals to take the lead in the blink of an eye.
Radek Faksa and Jason Robertson knocked in the game-tying and go-ahead goals just 18 seconds apart from each other to leave the Crypto.com Arena crowd stunned and wondering what had just happened. For Talbot, the two goals quickly blemished his performance thus far on the night and put Los Angeles in the rearview mirror. He would finish with 3 goals allowed on 34 shots as his record dropped to 19-14-6. The 2024 All-Star has now lost two out of his last three starts, and he will look to turn his momentum around in the final game of the home stand for Los Angeles.
They will play host to the Islanders on Monday night before heading out on a three-game road trip. New York is currently in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and in the midst of a three-game winning streak. For the Kings, the game will be an important one as they are currently tied with the Golden Knights for third place in their division (75 points each). A win would go a long way in holding up their position and making sure that the momentum does not start to head in the wrong direction during the most crucial stretch of the season.
The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. PT.
