LA’s problem is not injury related. It’s worse.
It's that you’re finally seeing the breakdown of their system’s most reliable component: The defense.
Even if they had lost to the Islanders by a smaller margin, perhaps 4 to 2 or even 3 to 2, the problem would have been the same. Bottom line: The Kings deserved to lose Thursday night by a lopsided number. That’s the type of game they played. The Islanders goals weren’t fluky or lucky, but opportunistic as the Kings once again deployed a tremendously porous and mistake-filled defensive scheme.
We even saw Drew Doughty get absolutely stormed by Andrew Ladd to spring a two-on-0 shorthanded goal that Jonathan Quick couldn’t have looked more helpless on.
For Valtteri Filppula’s first goal we saw three black jerseys all missing defensive assignments while Doughty watched from behind his own goal line. All Leo Komarov had to do was send a flat ice pass to Filppula who had an easy finish.
Overall, LA resembled nothing of a team that has survived on tremendous defensive cohesion for the past several years.
Yes, we did get two power play goals, which is either a good sign or simply the law of averages catching up. But to me, the Kings look like a team that hasn’t done enough to shore up Quick and Doughty. Martinez, Forbort, Phaneuf (especially) and even Muzzin have all had their fair share of moments where they’ve been absolutely burned, caught out of position or have looked just plain lazy.
And I don’t want to use the term “lazy” too lightly. Because I’m sitting here typing in a comfy chair and all those guys are playing real hockey games. But I’ve played hockey enough to know that it’s tiring, and the temptation to sluggishly poke check someone instead of skating hard is always there.
If I’m a Kings fan I’d want to see some simpler things improve. I’d want to see more skating, better communication on defense and way less hopeful poke checks giving way to odd-man rushes.
With so much talent on this roster, It could be a lot better in LA.
It has to be.
Los Angeles Kings Blogger • 
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