Another road game, and another weak first period for the Kings. Los Angeles found themselves in a deep hole early, only to pitch a comeback that was just a bit late Saturday night.
Before the opening faceoff, the Dallas Stars recognized longtime Star-and arguably the face of the organization- Mike Modano for his recent induction in to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The ceremony was quite the event for the organization, which included the likes of Brett Hull, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Eddie 'The Eagle' Belfour. Modano received a thunderous ovation from the American Airlines Center crowd, and their energy seemed to fuel the hometown team.
The Stars found themselves in penalty trouble three times in the opening frame, but thanks in part to goaltender Kari Lehtonen, they were able to keep the Kings off the scoreboard. Dallas was able to gain momentum from their PK unit and propel themselves to a 3-0 lead before the first intermission. Stars captain Jamie Benn led the way offensively, registering two goals and an assist in the first period.
Things went from bad to worse for Los Angeles in the second period. The NHL's leading goal scorer, Stars forward Tyler Seguin, found some open ice behind the Kings defense to beat goaltender Jonathan Quick for a 4-0 Stars lead. The play was started by Dallas' Lehtonen, who sent Seguin on a breakaway with a beautiful pass through center ice. Los Angeles would finally find their way on to the score sheet midway through the second. A strong forecheck by Kyle Clifford resulted in Tanner Pearson pouncing on Jake Muzzin's rebound for a 4-1 Stars lead.
Coach Darryl Sutter seemed to have a word or two with his club after the first twenty in Dallas. The Kings outshot the Stars 31-10 through the final forty minutes, carrying the play for the majority of that time. However, the comeback attempt fell short as the Stars would hold on to win by a score of 5-4. Kari Lehtonen stopped 37 shots to earn the victory. Kings winger Justin Williams would finish the game with two goals, but even that effort was not enough to overcome the strong first period by Dallas.
Slow starts seem to be a reoccurring theme for the Kings on the road this season. During the eight road games played by Los Angeles this season, they've been outscored 16-5. It is difficult to say what is the reason for the sluggish starts on the road but the goal differential in the opening twenty is a major reason why the Kings boast an NHL worst 1-4-3 on the road thus far. While they may maintain the best record on home ice (The Kings are currently 10-2-1 at the Staples Center), Los Angeles must find a way to bring their winning formula on the road. A full sixty minute effort from the Kings could be a solution, but until they put together a complete game, one can only speculate.
Road win number two could be as early as Tuesday night, when the Kings travel to Nashville to take on the Predators. A victory in the music city could be tough for Los Angeles, as the Preds are 7-1-1 on home ice and 7-3 overall in their last ten. The Kings will have their hands full Tuesday night, as they can expect to see Pekka Rinne in net for the Predators. Rinne- one of the NHL's best goaltenders over the past few seasons- will likely be up against Jonathan Quick in what has the potential of being a dream matchup in net at Bridgestone Arena Tuesday evening.
Nashville is led offensively by rookie forward Filip Forsberg. The young Swede not only leads the Predators in nearly every scoring category, but Forsberg also leads the league in plus/minus. If the Kings want to get back to their winning ways outside of LA, they will need to neutralize Forsberg and company. The pucks drops at 7:00 local time in Nashville Tuesday. If the Kings want to leave Tennessee victorious, they should note that start time.