What we learned from the Kings’ 4-2 loss at Chicago on Monday

What we learned from the Kings’ 4-2 loss at Chicago on Monday:

1. The Kings, who have won the Stanley Cup twice in the past four seasons and have maintained a strong core throughout that run, made too many mistakes against a team that has won the Stanley Cup three times in the past six seasons and has maintained a strong core throughout that run. They carried a 2-1 lead into the third period but couldn’t pad it or hold it, and Coach Darryl Sutter said had the Kings been able to take a 3-1 lead, it might have made a big difference.

Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff agreed. “For sure, it would be nice to get an extra goal, but we’ve been playing in a lot of those tight games,” he said. “It just got away from us a little bit in the third, and they buried their chances and came up with the victory.”

Ehrhoff and center Nick Shore, incidentally, were -3 defensively. Defenseman Derek Forbort played only two shifts in the third period, encompassing a minute and 12 seconds’ ice time; Drew Doughty played a season-high 29:33. Doughty is averaging 26:52, second only to the 27:05 averaged by St. Louis defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.

2. It’s not a good thing when Anze Kopitar, one of the finest two-way centers and playmakers in the NHL, has more penalty minutes (two) than assists (none). “That doesn’t happen too often,” he said.

Kopitar did score on a rebound Monday and tied Charlie Simmer for seventh place on the club’s all-time goals list at 222, but he hasn’t been able to capitalize on all of his skills because his wingers haven’t been able to finish.

“He’s playing good,” Sutter said. “He needs a little bit more help.”

Is that a word of advice to General Manager Dean Lombardi or to players already on the roster?

3. Although they regretted the end of their seven-game winning streak, players were determined to start another winning streak Tuesday, when they complete a back-to-back sequence.

“It’s an opportunity for us to start a new one,” Ehrhoff said. “We’ve got to focus on getting a good start and bringing our best game to St. Louis. That’s another tough building.”

4. Technically, we learned before the game that defenseman Jamie McBain and his wife, Liz, became parents Monday for the first time with the birth of Carter Anthony McBain.

McBain had been with the Kings in Chicago but flew back to Los Angeles after his wife went into labor. Congratulations to the McBain family.

Twitter: @helenenothelen