Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the Los Angeles Kings’ locker room after their 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.
The Kings blew a 3-1 lead on their home ice at Crypto.com Arena and ultimately surrendered four consecutive goals to close out what went into the books as their 10th loss in 12 games thus far in January.
After starting the season as one of the National Hockey League’s top teams, the Kings have tumbled all the way down into the seventh seed in the Western Conference. They’re now just two points up on the Nashville Predators, who currently occupy the eighth and final playoff spot.
It’s getting bleak in Los Angeles. The Kings had already lost to the San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings (twice!) this month before falling to the Sabres. And with the Colorado Avalanche looming large on the horizon as their next opponent, it’s understandable that we’re starting to see hard questions being asked of the Kings’ top players and coaches.
Asked about his job security on Wednesday night, Kings head coach Todd McLellan responded, “It’s a very fair question.”
“The stupidity that went into that loss is beyond explainable,” said McLellan, who is in his fifth season with the Kings. “When you look at the team that played the first 25-30 games, if you will, it doesn’t look like the team that’s playing right now, and I’m responsible for it.”
The Kings have been bounced in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. They initially looked like a surefire bet to return to the postseason again this year, potentially even with home-ice advantage, but their current slide (coupled with the Edmonton Oilers’ resurgence) means they’ve almost completely lost their grasp on a divisional playoff spot.
As it stands, the Kings may be forced to settle for a wild card spot — and that’s if they don’t fall any further. Understandably, many fans in L.A. have started to point fingers at Pierre-Luc Dubois, who is in the first season of an eight-year deal worth $8.5 million per season.
Dubois, 25, arrived in the Kings organization over the summer with much fanfare but has managed just 20 points in his first 45 games with the team. McLellan singled out Dubois earlier this week for not consistently being a “difference-maker” with and without the puck. He did score a power-play goal on Wednesday but also finished with a minus-one rating.
After Wednesday’s game, Kings alternate captain Drew Doughty took aim at what he sees as some of his teammates being too preoccupied with their own production instead of helping the team win.
“I think we’ve got guys in this room who are too worried about themselves and worry about their points,” Doughty said. “We got a 3-1 lead tonight and guys start thinking it’s a cookie night and stop playing the way we know how to play. […] It’s not about the coaches, it’s all about the players.”
The Kings now rank fourth in the Pacific Division with a 22-14-9 record and 53 points through 45 games this season. They’re slated to take on the Avalanche at Ball Arena in Denver, CO on Friday at 6:00 p.m. PT.
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