Look, we don’t have a lot of time. There’s another game in five hours, and I just got done processing this loss, and the place is gonna explode if we wait any longer, and—
Point is, you don’t want the grisly details if you didn’t watch this game, and if you did watch this game, stop reading this recap and go outside. (I appreciate the effort though.)
Anyway, that picture at the top of the page is Tanner Pearson getting checked into his own net by Michael Del Zotto. Considering that it cancelled out a Vancouver power play which had been ruthlessly efficient all night, it was probably the best thing that happened to the Los Angeles Kings all day.
I could have picked a number of other pictures, all from the same angle. It’s a beautiful angle and I hate every one of these pictures. Don’t you?
Jonathan Quick didn’t have much fun last night. He gave up three goals on the first eight shots within the first 5:49, including a shoulda-had-it goal and a no-chance odd-man rush goal, both to this guy:
Whenever Eriksson scores, I think about how bad his contract is.
Whenever Eriksson doesn’t score, I also think about how bad his contract is.There’s no escape.
— S7 (@S7HDesign) January 24, 2018
Quick protested his removal after the Canucks’ fifth goal, 4:21 into the second period, presumably because he thought things might actually get easier at that point. That was only somewhat true. He also kept his mask on in the immediate aftermath, probably because LA took three delay-of-game penalties. Quick is apparently taking All-Star Weekend off, which makes sense. I wouldn’t leave the house for a week if I had to play goal behind that team last night.
Derek Forbort had a worse night. He suffered an upper-body injury and did not play in the third period, ensuring that I will immediately appreciate the minute-eating defenseman more than I did earlier in the game. After playing 26 minutes on Sunday, he only got 10 on Tuesday.
Alex Iafallo scored, hit a post, and was denied on NHL.com’s Save of the Game. I’d be all right with him playing 26 minutes tonight, because he’s enjoyable to watch. Anze Kopitar had the Kings’ other goal and a beautiful assist on Iafallo’s marker. He was also on for both of Brock Boeser’s power play goals, but can you blame him? (Not for the 5-on-3 goal, at least.) A third goal by Tyler Toffoli was disallowed; it was disappointing because he needed it, and because it made the game last longer.
This whole team is dead to me except Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo.
— sarah. (@goorgoahead) January 24, 2018
The list of players who struggled is much longer. LA set a season high in goals against and times shorthanded, and tied their season-worst margin of defeat. Against, it bears repeating, the Vancouver Canucks.
With a win tonight in Calgary, the Kings would leapfrog the Flames into third place in the Pacific Division. If the Kings manage to not throw themselves into a pit — or to not get thrown into their own net — they might have a shot.