In a game which held some significance for the Arizona Coyotes' playoff standings, they came out in the second period and laid an egg.

After taking a 2-1 lead on a goal by Anthony Duclair (his 14th, and second in two games), the hapless Coyotes gave up five straight goals to destroy any chances of salvaging this key game. When a team gives their opponents seven power play opportunities, and fails to score one power play goal themselves in five chances, it's going to be a long night.

The Los Angeles Kings made good on three of their seven man advantages to subdue any Coyotes comeback, which has been typical this season on many occasions.

To show the tightness of the Pacific Division race of late, the Desert Dogs fell from third to fourth place, tied with the Anaheim Ducks with 53 points. And, to make matters worse, the Ducks have two games in hand. Their tailspin plunged them from sixth to tenth place in the wild card race. The Vancouver Canucks are now on their tail, just two points behind. Every win within the division is so very critical. The Coyotes have shown they can win these key games, with an 11-2-2 record within their division before this game. They were also 3-0-1 against the Kings this season.

This game was Head Coach Dave Tippett's 1,000th career game as a NHL head coach, and he'd like to forget about it. His post-game press conference tells it all. Too many penalties, poor goaltending, and puck possession usually spells defeat.

The key turning point to this game was late in the second period with 1:13 remaining, when the score was tied 2-2. Marian Gaborik and Dustin Brown combined for two goals within 12 seconds to deflate the Coyotes' chances.

The concern now becomes this question: what is going on with goaltender Louis Domingue? After being named NHL Rookie of the Month for January with an outstanding 6-3-2 record, and a .925 save percentage in 11 games, this is shocking downturn for the youngster. For him to give up ten goals in his last two games is a concern for the team, and their playoff aspirations.

Being pulled in the third period of the last two games can wreak havoc to a young goalie's confidence. Unfortunately, things don't get any easier, as Domingue and the Coyotes must face the mighty Chicago Blackhawks next on Thursday night, and then travel to Anaheim to face the Ducks the next night. They are undefeated against the Ducks, but they must win one of these next two games to regain the surge they were making to grab a playoff spot.

They certainly don't want to fall into an abyss as they did last season at about this point.. They lost nine straight games during February, pretty much eliminating any hopes of a competitive final record. Don't think players don't think about that; even though some of the younger players like Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, Jordan Martinook, and Louie Domingue weren't even here, or didn't participate much in games, it still stays in their head and can bring them grief.

The Coyotes need to forget about this horrible game (and certainly Head Coach Dave Tippett will remind them of that), and move on to play the Blackhawks, who sport the second best record in the NHL with 72 points. It seems playing the Hawks has always been a rejuvenating experience, and this game seems to be one where their resurgence needs to be put into overdrive.

The NHL standings are tight to say the least, with six points separating the Coyotes in 20th place to the seventh place New York Rangers. Games are becoming more and more meaningful, and just ask the Montreal Canadiens how that works. They have gone 5-19-1 since December 1st, with losing streaks of four, six, five, and three to absolutely destroy their early season success.

So, the Coyotes need to wake up, fix their issues, and play some more competitive hockey if they wish to be playing in the postseason.