What we learned from the Kings’ 1-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators

What we learned from the Kings’ 1-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators:

Maybe Kings Coach Darryl Sutter better revise one of his old statements, that is now a 3-2 league. At least this week, it has been a 1-0 league for the Kings. They were on the upside of it on Tuesday (Detroit) and the downside of it on Thursday. A few takeaways after their first loss in nine games.

Sutter getting into playoff mode

Motivational Darryl was in full stride after the Kings were shut out for the first time since Feb. 3 at Washington. Senators goalie Andrew Hammond was kept busy, making 35 saves, recording his second shutout in as many nights.

Sutter, however, was unhappy with his team. That is, everyone other than a certain line. The Kings’ eight-game winning streak was put firmly in the rearview mirror.

After all, there happens to be a massive game coming up – the Kings play at Anaheim on Friday night.

“Jeff Carter’s line was really good,” Sutter said. “After that, it was pretty much zero.”

Andrew Hammond was an eye-opener

The newcomer Andrew Hammond was a mystery to the Kings. Kings forward Tyler Toffoli said he didn’t know much about the 27-year-old who got his long-awaited NHL chance when the Senators encountered issues at that position.

Toffoli and the Kings were frustrated throughout, and Toffoli had one of the better chances of the game, denied by Hammond’s left pad on the Kings’ power play late in the third period.

It was a classic goalie duel between Hammond and the Kings’ Jonathan Quick. And Hammond called it.

“I don’t think too many people expected a goalie battle between Quick and the Hamburglar tonight,” said Hammond.

Sekera looks to be good addition, off the ice, too

Newly acquired defenseman Andrej Sekera was saying all the right things, the stuff you hear from a player who has just shown up after an important trade.

He will make his Kings debut on Friday against the Ducks and met with the media after the first period of the Ottawa game. Sekera displayed a clever sense of humor, dryly pointing out that he picked No. 7 to give the team’s staff a little less work with his jersey.

The persistent trade rumors didn’t bother him this season in Carolina. Previously, Sekera was in Buffalo and overlapped with Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr.

“You hear it and pay attention to it a little bit,” Sekera said. “But you never know where you’re going to end up, so you just have to take care of the business on the ice and whatever happens will happen.

“It’s part of this business. You get traded and it’s time you move on.”

Sekera said he is in a hotel right now but will be living with teammate and Slovak countryman Marian Gaborik, to start.

Said Sekera: “I don’t need too much… A little bit of water. Bread and butter and I’m fine.”

Follow Lisa Dillman on Twitter @reallisa