What we learned from the Kings’ 5-3 win over Toronto

Kings’ games against Eastern Conference teams tend to be unpredictable affairs. The styles of play differ, and the lack of familiarity makes the twice-a-season meetings akin to seeing a European team on a barnstorming tour.

The Kings’ 5-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs held true to that. Even though the teams met a week ago, it was a scoring fest to start and a mad scramble to finish for the Kings.

Here’s what we learned:

Nick Shore made a precision pass to Trevor Lewis for a 3-0 lead in one of the surprise plays of the game. Shore and Lewis were plodders under former coach Darryl Sutter, but their skill from their younger days has resurfaced under John Stevens.

Both were 20-goal scorers in the minors.

“Shore and Lewie have had chemistry regardless of who plays with them, so we’re going to ask them to play some hard minutes for us, but I thought they had a couple of real good cycle shifts there,” Stevens said.

The Kings challenged Connor Brown’s goal on goalie interference. This has been an increasingly controversial topic, and Stevens echoed what a lot of coaches have said about how the rule is interpreted.

“I’d just like to have a little more direction on it, so moving forward you don’t waste a timeout because you kind of know what they’re looking for,” Stevens said. “But I’m still not sure what that is.”

The Maple Leafs center became the fourth player in NHL history to take two penalty shots in one game, according to the NHL. Matthews took one in the second period because Anze Kopitar reached in on him during a breakaway. Stevens didn’t agree with that call but he had no qualms about the second penalty shot given in the third period, because Jake Muzzin knocked the net off the moorings.

Matthews converted the first attempt, a backhand on Jonathan Quick, but missed high on the second try.

“I was just trying to open him up,” Matthews said of his first attempt. “He’s just so hard to get the puck by. He’s so athletic. He makes those saves that you see on the highlight reel.”

The other players with two penalty shots in one game are Mud Bruneteau (1938-39), Eric Cole (2005-06) and Max Pacioretty (2013-14).