Best-Laid Plans Aren’t Followed by Kings in Loss

Sticking to their physical style of play and not taking multiple penalties were two biggest reasons for the Kings’ recent undefeated streak.

On Monday night, they decided to try and win without following that plan and it cost them as the Edmonton Oilers frustrated the Kings in a 1-0 victory before 14,403 at the Edmonton Coliseum.

The Oilers, who have won three of four games against the Kings this season, were the last team to defeat the Kings before Monday. Now, they can claim that they also ended the Kings’ longest unbeaten streak of the season at seven.

Edmonton goaltender Curtis Joseph made 30 saves and Dean McAmmond had the game’s only goal on a power-play early in the second period. The Kings were called for 10 penalties for 31 minutes.

During the Kings’ 6-0-1 streak, seven penalties for 17 minutes were the most they had in any game.

“We know that it’s tough to get going when you are killing penalties all night, and it was like that again tonight,” said right wing Glen Murray, who had his goal-scoring streak end at four games. “We had been staying away from that the last seven games but we got back to our old [ways].”

The Kings outshot Edmonton, 30-28. However, most of their attempts were easy for Joseph to stop because of their lack of traffic in front of the net, an aspect of their game that helped the Kings score 20 goals during their streak.

“We had a game plan but we didn’t stick to it,” Murray added. “They outworked us and we didn’t bury our chances.”

For the first 20 minutes, the Kings had more solid scoring chances than Edmonton, but open shots by Nathan LaFayette and Jozef Stumpel either hit a post or were stopped by Joseph, who recorded his fourth shutout of the season.

But after a scoreless first period, the Oilers had a man advantage for 2:08 of the first 4:16 of the second. McAmmond scored his sixth goal in his last eight games when he skated untouched into the Kings’ zone and beat goalie Stephane Fiset with a shot from the slot at 4:16. It was the first power-play goal the Kings had given up in four games and 14 short-handed situations.

“We came out even in the first [period] and then we go out and take two or three dumb penalties in the second. . . . unnecessary penalties,” King Coach Larry Robinson said. “It changed the whole flow of the game. And, all because that the guys didn’t want to work it the way we are supposed to work. No other reason for it.”

The rest of the second period was filled with one penalty after another as the teams played five-on-five hockey for only 6:19 of the 20 minutes. The choppy play helped the Oilers, who were able to keep the Kings from mounting any consistent action.

The Kings’ power play, which has struggled most of the season, again was dismal in five chances, which did not please Robinson.

“When the power play is not working just shoot the. . . . puck and get somebody in front, but we all want to look like a Pavel Bure or a Doug Weight,” Robinson said. “Dipsy-doodling with the puck and playing on the perimeter. Guys that were supposed to be in front of the net, were working the half boards or down in the corner. They didn’t want to go to the front of the net and take the beating that they were taking before.”