'Eight is Enough' as Kings lose in lackluster effort

November 7, 4:14 PMLos Angeles Kings ExaminerJonathan Moncrief

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Dustin Brown scored only Kings goal Saturday
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

“I don’t want to punish them, but we need to have a much better effort than we did today.”

Those words from coach Terry Murray might not echo the sentiment of the 15,237 at Staples Center on Saturday afternoon. Many fans probably left thinking the Los Angeles Kings need a hard practice on Sunday following a 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators, which could best be described as an uninspiring defeat. The loss ended an eight game stretch without a loss in regulation for the Kings, who posted six wins and two shootout losses prior to Saturday.

“This was unacceptable tonight and we know it,” team captain Dustin Brown lamented afterwards.

The Kings stumbled through a drearily scoreless first stanza in which both teams resembled a group morning skate as opposed to an energetic contest. The second period started with the Kings on a 5-on-3 power play for 1:58, but they only registered one quality shot during that time.

“A real big turning point I thought in the game was (killing off) the 5-on-3,” Nashville head coach Barry Trotz stated afterwards. “To get through that unscathed really gave us a lot of energy.”

Nashville then took control in the second on a goal by Francis Bouillon. After a shot from the point by Cody Franson sailed wide of the net, Jonathan Quick was unable to recover and slide across the goal crease, allowing Bouillon to score into a gaping goal at 16:38.

“I was looking for that goal for a long time,” Bouillon remarked. “I was in the right spot at the right time.”
In the third, Franson found the net at 4:52 to give the Predators a two goal advantage. Brown then redirected a shot from the point by Jarret Stoll on the power play to cut the lead in half at 8:25, but a terrific effort by Joel Ward just 80 seconds later allowed him to beat Quick and reinstate the two-goal advantage.

“I don’t want to take anything away from what Nashville did, they worked… they came into the building short-handed; they have important players out and they worked hard today,” Murray said when asked about his team’s perceived lack of effort. “They beat us from the dots-to-the-boards in every area of the ice.”

“When our defense contributes on the back end, it gives us a much better chance to win,” Trotz indicated.
“Everyone has to look at themselves in the mirror,” Brown admitted, “I think as a team when you prepare yourself right collectively… it becomes a lot easier.”

The Kings will have a practice Sunday at 10AM at Toyota Sports Center before boarding a plane for Chicago to begin a five-game road trip. Monday’s game will only be televised by Versus, meaning no local television coverage.