LA Kings (Photo by Harry How / Getty Images)
The LA Kings competed against a high-performing Colorado Avalanche Club on Tuesday night. The Avs shot all cylinders and spent a lot of time in the offensive zone. Enough pressure was applied to score the first goal of the game. Two more goals were scored on the power play before the LA Kings went to work.
Andreas Athanasiou scored his third goal in as many games, and Adrian Kempe eventually got a goal to score after two previous later credits were credited to other players. Since these two teams will meet again at the STAPLES Center on Thursday evening, there should be no surprises for Los Angeles in this case.
That said, here are three questions that need to be monitored while playing the game.
1. Can the LA Kings get their production from their first line?
The LA Kings got a second ranking, but the first line was almost invisible. Outside of Dustin Brown’s 300th career goal, the trio of Alex Iafallo, Anze Kopitar and Brown have teamed up for one goal and seven points. According to Money Puck, the Kings first line has a percentage of 47.8 expected goals, but as mentioned earlier, they have very little to show.
Head coach Todd McLellan made some changes to the line of play in the third half on Tuesday to create more scoring opportunities. Kempe’s goal came while playing on the first power play session with Iafallo and Kopitar. And on Wednesday morning, the Kings head coach looked at some different line combinations. Maybe he’s looking for more speed from his first line.
Note: These last three O-lines contained “different rotations during the rushes” per PR
– Jack Harris (@Jack_A_Harris) January 20, 2021
“You know, third and fourth lines, first and second lines, and whoever plays well takes on that role,” McLellan said after training on Wednesday. “Of course you would think Kopi was one and Lizotte or Gabe two and then down the line. But you know we flipped a couple of players and there’s a chance we might make a line-up change or two tomorrow, but otherwise we’re just trying to find combinations that give us the best chance of success. “
Don’t be surprised to see Kempe and Brown swap, as McLellan seemed to like the combination of Vilardi centering Brown.
“Gabe has the ability to speed up or slow down the game in either direction, and he has good vision, good hands, and makes good games. Brownie can do some corner work and some network work for him. And I think these two things will complement each other. “
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