Penalty-Killing Lapses Continue

There’s no great secret to killing penalties. It takes a certain amount of strategy, but probably requires more diligence and discipline than raw talent to be effective.

Last season, the Kings killed 82.3% of their disadvantages and ranked 21st in the NHL. After giving up two power-play goals in a 3-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday, the Kings’ success rate this season fell to 78.3%, last in the league. The NHL average was 83.6% through Saturday.

“It’s players that you give the responsibility to, to make plays, and they’re not doing it,” Coach Andy Murray said. “[Assistant coach] Mark Hardy is in charge of our penalty killing and he goes over what we need to be doing. We’re in position to do the right things and then all of a sudden, we don’t. You give players responsibility, you want them to know how important it is for them to excel.”

Hardy was frustrated and puzzled Sunday.

“We were doing a great job in the first period and getting everything done. I don’t think they had any scoring chances,” he said. “The second period, we would just get [the puck] and throw it right back at them, then we’d start running around. All I know is in this league, you can’t play like that and win.

“When you have total control of the puck, you can’t just throw it. We do a great job and then all of a sudden fall apart. I don’t have any answers.

“I just want to see heart and determination. You go out there for two minutes and you’re going to do everything in your power to stop the puck from going in your net. Maybe we’ve got the wrong guys out there. They outworked us on our power play and we didn’t outwork them on theirs.”

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Defenseman Mathieu Schneider needed about 15 stitches to close a cut beneath his right eye after he was hit by a puck in the third period. His eye was discolored and his cheekbone swollen, but he didn’t require additional treatment.