Kings suffocate in 6-2 loss against Utah

LOS ANGELES — For the second time in seven days, the Los Angeles Kings faced off against the Utah Mammoth as the Kings’ regular season has nine games remaining.

Although in a different fashion, tonight’s game ended the same way as Sunday’s matchup did – with Utah (38-30-6) taking the victory over Los Angeles (29-26-18).

In the concluding season matchup, the Kings endured a 6-2 loss to the Mammoth on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, handing Utah a 2-1 series record over LA this season.

LA has now lost five of their last six games and the lack of wins couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“The one thing about this team is there’s guys that care in there,” Kings interim coach D.J. Smith said in postgame interviews. “So it’d be different if there were one or two guys that just didn’t have it and whatever – everyone didn’t have it … and when that many guys don’t have it, you’re not blaming it on anyone, you’re gonna take it as a group, me (Smith) included.”

The opening period was uncharacteristic for the Kings, and it only got worse as time progressed.

With help from defenseman John Marino, Alexander Kerfoot scored his fourth goal of the season just 2:31 into the first. 

Logan Cooley would find the back of the net twice within three minutes: a snap shot for his 19th goal and a power-play goal as the Mammoth continued to keep the lead.

Anze Kopitar shot the Kings’ lonesome first period goal with assists from Adrian Kempe and Joel Edmundson, but Los Angeles would be down 3-1 to enter the second period.

The effort shown – or the lack of – between the two teams was astonishing to see, considering Utah holds a Wild Card spot in the playoffs and LA does not. And yet each team acted as if the opposite were true.

“Our passing wasn’t good,” Smith said. “We were not sharp in any facet in the game. Maybe other than 10 minutes in the third period where we played a little bit like ourselves. But for whatever reason, it’s not good enough. And against a team that is fighting for the playoffs just like us, it’s just not good enough.”

The Kings’ displayed bad defense all night, allowing Utah to have the shots they wanted, when and how they wanted them.

Kerfoot scored his second goal of the game and Nick Schmaltz scored a power-play goal while the Kings’ offense stayed stagnant during period two.

“We had no legs,” Smith said in postgame interviews. “… We made it hard on ourselves by playing the east-west in the neutral zone and (we) didn’t play fast at all. And when you play that way, you allow the other team to get above you – and that’s what we do to teams – and they were ready right from the get-go. We didn’t start on time tonight and before you know it, you’re just chipping and changing … and we just simply weren’t good enough.”

Adrian Kempe’s 27th wrist shot goal would be the last for the Kings, but continuing the pattern of the game, Utah wasn’t letting up, no matter what.

Mikhail Sergachev finished with four assists as he aided in Jack McBain’s empty-net goal to finish off the game as Utah demolished the Kings on home ice – where they should and need to be winning games.

However, this season that hasn’t been the case.

The Kings hold a 10-16-8 home record and a 19-9-10 away record, and with six out of their last nine games being held in Los Angeles, something has to give.

Drew Doughty said the team needs to have the same mentality that they keep on the road to be held on home ice as well.

“Just go out there, grind, get on the forecheck early,” Doughty said. “Things will start opening up to make plays later on in the game.”

Starting goalie Darcy Kuemper had 11 saves on 16 shot attempts, playing the first two periods before Anton Forsberg entered for the final period, earning 11 saves on 11 shots.

LA went 0-for-2 on the power play with 31 shots on goal while Utah went 2-for-3 and had 28 shots.

Up next:

LA Kings host the St. Louis Blues (31-30-11) at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday at 6 p.m.