Late Breakdowns Are Causing Concern

The season is young, and a defining story line has yet to be established, but a prevalent theme is already causing problems for the Kings.

Late-game collapses. Two too many.

The Kings (3-2-0-0) have lost twice in the final four minutes, coughing up leads by committing late-game gaffes ranging from penalties to defensive lapses to offensive ineptitude.

The latest example, a 4-3 loss Saturday to the Boston Bruins, had a little of everything.

A high-sticking penalty led to a game-tying power-play goal with 2:32 left. A failed clearing attempt led to the winning goal with 1:48 left.

It was almost a duplicate of the season opener Oct. 9 at Detroit. The Kings led late, Lubomir Visnovsky took a tripping penalty with 4:21 left, the Red Wings converted the power play with 3:45 left, and the game was won on Steve Yzerman’s goal with 1.7 seconds left.

This time, however, the Kings tied a club record by getting no shots on goal in the third period, a drought that extended well beyond that. Luc Robitaille is believed to have had the Kings’ final shot of the game on a power play that expired 8:19 into the second period.

“It was certainly the longest night we’ve had in terms of spending time in our zone,� Coach Andy Murray said. “The ice was lopsided territorially in the second and third period. From about three minutes into the second period, basically, there’s not a lot of shots.�

The defense, already without Mattias Norstrom (bruised chest) and Aaron Miller (fractured wrist), became tired. The Bruins spent most of the third period on the attack and outshot the Kings in the period, 11-0.

“I really thought the major problem was with our forwards,� Murray said. “We forced a group of younger defensemen to spend too much time in our zone. When you do that, you tend to get worn out. Our forwards never sustained pressure up ice.�

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Boston goaltender Felix Potvin, not re-signed by the Kings after nearly 2 1/2 seasons in Los Angeles, had 15 saves Saturday and settled down after allowing three first-period goals. With the Bruins trailing, 3-1, Potvin made a glove save on Robitaille in the second period that kept the score from getting out of hand.

“It was fun coming back,� Potvin said. “I have a lot of good memories of this place. It was tough to leave, but it was sure sweet to come back and win a game like this.�

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Despite killing five of six penalties against the Bruins, the Kings remained at the bottom of the NHL in penalty killing.

The Kings have killed only 18 of 26 penalties (69.2%).