What we learned from the Kings’ 4-3 win over the Senators

The Kings rolled a seven, but it took some tumbles to get there.

They could have buried the Ottawa Senators early Thursday, but missed chance after chance. They also allowed a rare late, third-period tying goal.

They ultimately came out with a 4-3 overtime win at Staples Center for their seventh straight victory, which put them in first place in the Western Conference.

Here’s what we learned:

There is room for improvement. Offensively, Christmas came early but the Kings kicked their presents into the fireplace.

Tanner Pearson did not convert two breakaways. Tyler Toffoli missed an open net. Anze Kopitar was denied a sure-thing goal by the stick paddle of Senators goalie Mike Condon. The Kings registered an unwieldy 28 giveaways.

Defensively, they allowed 40 shots and again had to depend on another superb goalie performance, in this case 37 saves by Darcy Kuemper. Even Kuemper couldn’t prevent a power-play goal, a goal off a turnover and a goal with an extra attacker.

“I thought we had some really good areas, but I think we have a lot to learn form and a lot to get better at,” winger Dustin Brown said. “Darcy made some huge saves for us that kept us even. But we found a way to win.”

The Kings showed their skill. Not that it’s been missing, but it was evident with Toffoli’s move around defenseman Ben Harpur to set up Pearson’s goal. Alex Iafallo completed a fine passing sequence with a shot that beat Condon. Even Brown’s deft tip was pretty to watch.

For a team that has long relied on blue-collar goals, the Kings have shown that their skill can allow them to prevail on a night when they didn’t have their best overall game.

They continue to feast on the East. Thirteen of the Kings’ 19 wins are against Eastern Conference teams (13-3), due to an East-heavy schedule that continues through the next five games.

Kings coach John Stevens said that Eastern teams tend to play more open, which would seem to suit the new-look Kings more. Their 19-8-3 record is not an aberration, especially after recent impressive wins against the Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings, but a more balanced ledger might be more representative of the Kings’ success.

curtis.zupke@latimes.com

Twitter: @curtiszupke