New Coach. New Star. Same Old Kings.
· Yahoo Sports
The Los Angeles Kings and Florida Panthers put on a masterclass Tuesday night in how you don't want your power play to operate.
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Between the two teams, there were 11 opportunities with the man advantage. Neither team scored. The Kings went 0-for-5, while the Panthers went 0-for-6.
For Los Angeles, the penalty kill was at least a major step in the right direction. After allowing five power-play goals through their first two games, the Kings shut down all six of Florida's opportunities and repeatedly found ways to turn defense into chances the other way.
Erik Haula, Joel Armia and Brian Dumoulin all had shorthanded opportunities but couldn't finish. Scott Laughton had another chance that went nowhere. Still, when your penalty kill gives you that many chances to flip momentum, you can't complain too much.
The problem is what happened on the other side of special teams.
The Kings had a lengthy five-on-three opportunity late in the first period and into the second, including a four-minute high-sticking double minor. They couldn't score. They managed just five shots across five power plays.
And that's where the frustration comes in.
This isn't a problem that suddenly appeared Tuesday night. It's been following the Kings around for years, particularly during a stretch of playoff exits that has left fans wondering when this team is finally going to figure out how to score when it matters.
Maybe Artemi Panarin can help.
The Kings acquired Panarin because they needed someone who could create offense and change a game. He has already shown flashes of why they made that move, scoring in each of Los Angeles' first two games and recording three points against San Jose.
But Panarin can't do everything himself.
Quinton Byfield is still waiting for the breakout everyone has been expecting. Adrian Kempe remains one of the team's biggest offensive weapons, but the Kings need more consistency from their lineup. And now they're asking a new coach in Peter Laviolette to somehow turn all of those pieces into an offense that can actually produce when the game is on the line.
That's why Tuesday's loss feels bigger than one bad power play.
The Kings weren't beaten because their penalty kill failed. It kept them alive. They lost because they couldn't take advantage of their own opportunities, and eventually Matthew Tkachuk made them pay with the game-winning goal in the third period.
There is plenty of time left. It's three games into the season, and Laviolette is still figuring out his team.
But the Kings are now 0-2-1, and their power play is just 2-for-12.
New coach. New season. New star.
Same old questions.