Penguins' defense falters in ugly loss to Kings

For as much as the Penguins are routinely celebrated as an offensive force – goals are as much their brand as the skating member of the taxonomic family Spheniscidae on the crest of their black and yellow jerseys – it’s been their defense that has largely buoyed whatever success they’ve enjoyed throughout the 2021-22 season.

Entering Thursday, they had the NHL’s second-best goals against average of 2.46 and were fifth in the league in terms of shots allowed with an average of 35 per game.

Defense might not be the Penguins’ identity. But it’s what they’ve relied on through the first three months of this campaign.

On Thursday, any notion of the Penguins being a stout defensive unit was perforated by an aggressive and opportunistic Los Angeles Kings squad that claimed a 6-2 win at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

It was the Penguins’ second-most lopsided loss of the season, only surpassed by a 6-1 road loss to the Washington Capitals on Nov. 14. Additionally, they allowed a season-worst 45 shots.

“We didn’t have our best,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said to media in Los Angeles. “I didn’t see it coming. We’ve played pretty consistent all year long. This obviously wasn’t our best. It was just a struggle all night long for our group. Give (Los Angeles) credit, they played extremely hard.

“But we’ve got to be better.”

The Penguins seemed to get off to a good start. Or a lucky one, at least. That’s how they scored the opening goal of the contest 4:42 into regulation.

After Penguins forward Teddy Blueger won a faceoff in the Kings’ right circle, linemate Dominik Simon slid a pass to defenseman Brian Dumoulin at the right point. Maneuvering to the high slot, Dumoulin uncorked a heavy wrister that goaltender Jonathan Quick punched away with his blocker. Defenseman Kris Letang pinched in deep on the left wing, claimed the rebound and shuffled a backhander into the crease. The puck deflected off the front of Quick’s right toe pad and caromed into the cage. It was Letang’s second goal of the season. Dumoulin and Simon had assists.

A fortunate bounce benefited the Kings on their first goal at 13:48 of the first period. Claiming a loose puck in the Penguins’ slot, Kings forward Anze Kopitar fired a wrister that deflected off the left leg of Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen then sailed past Jarry’s glove. It was Kopitar’s 10th goal of the season and it was unassisted.

The Kings took their first lead with a power-play score at 14:32 of the middle frame.

Controlling the puck at the center point of the offensive zone, Kings defenseman Sean Durzi moved in a bit and jammed up Penguins forward Kasper Bjorkqvist with a drag move. Taking advantage of the real estate created by that tactic, Durzi lifted a wrister from above the left circle. Positioned in the circle, Kings forward Trevor Moore deflected the puck on net. Jarry made the initial save but allowed a rebound to the right of the crease that Kings forward Dustin Brown cleaned up by pushing a forehand shot under Jarry’s glove for his sixth goal. Moore and Durzi recorded assists.

The Penguins tied the game, 2-2, only 1:37 into the third period when rookie forward Radim Zohorna scored his first goal of the season. Controlling the puck on the Kings’ end boards, Penguins forward Teddy Blueger centered a pass to the slot for Zohorna, who leaned down and lifted wrister past Quick’s blocker. Blueger and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, a product of the Los Angeles Junior Kings program, were credited with assists.

That goal proved to be false hope to the Penguins as they were blitzed by the Kings shortly thereafter for three goals in a span of 1:23.

“We got (to) the third (period), then we just didn’t defend enough, didn’t play with enough structure,” Simon said. “They capitalized on it.”

First, at the 3:07 mark, Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson scored his first goal of the season. Off the left half wall of the offensive zone, Kopitar backhanded a pass to the center point. Anderson knocked the puck dead then chopped a seemingly pedestrian slapper that beat Jarry’s glove. Assists went to Kopitar and forward Adrian Kempe.

Only 10 seconds later, the Kings made it a 4-2 contest. Off the ensuing faceoff, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty fired a cross-ice stretch pass to Moore, who gained the offensive zone on the left wing. Approaching the net, Moore drew in Letang and slipped a pass to the left circle for linemate Victor Arvidsson. With Dumoulin trailing on the play, Arvidsson was able to one-touch an easy shot past Jarry’s glove hand on the near side for his ninth goal. Moore and Doughty tallied assists.

Kopitar put the Kings up by a field goal at the 4:30 mark of the third. Settling a puck at the right point of the offensive zone, Durzi backpedaled slightly towards the center point and dished a pass to the left circle for Kings forward Alex Iafallo. As Penguins defenseman John Marino stumbled a bit above the crease, Iafallo slid a pass to the right of the crease, where Kopitar swept in an easy forehand shot. Iafallo and Durzi netted assists.

The Kings poured it on at 18:20 of the third. After Kings forward Rasmus Kupari won a faceoff in the Penguins’ right circle, Kopitar corralled the puck on the right half wall and fed it to the right point where Durzi pounded a one-timer. The puck appeared to glance off Bjorkqvist’s left leg and rose over Jarry’s left shoulder before hitting twin. It was Durzi’s second goal of the season off assists from Brown and forward Rasmus Kupari.

Jarry, who was named to the NHL’s All-Star Game event earlier in the evening, made 39 saves while under duress most of Thursday’s contest. His record fell to 18-7-4.

He received stiffer defense from teammates after the game than during the game.

“He was awesome,” Blueger said. “We kind of hung him out to dry a little bit. Even in the third, he made some huge saves for us. He gave us a chance as much as he could. We didn’t help him at all. I don’t think he’s at fault for anything (Thursday).”

There was no shortage of faults on Thursday for the Penguins.

“We just didn’t play good,” Simon said. “We had many good games in a row. We were outplaying the opponents. Today, it was a really bad game for us. We just didn’t deserve to win.”

Notes: Penguins rookie forward Drew O’Connor played his first game since Jan. 2. After missing three games while in the NHL’s protocols for covid 19, O’Connor was briefly assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) then recalled on Wednesday. … The Penguins’ scratches were forward Anthony Angello and defenseman Mark Friedman. … With a number of their support staff in protocols for covid-19, the Kings “recalled” athletic trainer Aisha Visram from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. She is believed to be the first woman to ever work a regular-season NHL game behind the bench in any capacity. … Kings forward Samuel Fagemo made his NHL debut.