- Kings fall to 0-3-2 after a 4-1 loss to the Oilers
- First winless five-game start for Los Angeles since 1997-98
- Read below for what Trevor Moore and Peter Laviolette said
The Kings still don’t have a win.
Los Angeles fell to 0-3-2 with a 4-1 loss to the Oilers on Tuesday night, the first time the Kings have gone winless through five games since 1997-98. The two overtime losses are the only reason they have any points at all.
Here’s our post on it from Tuesday night:
Edmonton did the damage early. Connor McDavid factored in all three first-period goals on the way to four points in his 800th game, and the Oilers led 3-0 after 20 minutes. Darcy Kuemper stopped four of seven shots before Anton Forsberg took over to start the second.
Brandt Clarke got one back late in the second period, but that was it. The Kings have now scored one goal in three straight games, and they did it again despite putting roughly 40 shots on net.
Trevor Moore was asked about the level of concern after five games without a win.
“I mean the belief is there in our group, but it’s just not at all good enough right now,” Moore said. “We’ve got to figure it out fast.”
He also pointed to the mistakes that keep putting L.A. behind early.
“It’s just mental lapses in the first and it feels like every game we’re having those,” Moore said. “We’re just making little mistakes here and there that’s just costing us games and there’s really no excuse for it.”
Head coach Peter Laviolette was asked to assess the game and kept it short.
“It’s frustrating because you’re not winning hockey games,” Laviolette said. He added that the Kings gave up very little in the first period, but the chances they did allow came against a world-class player and ended up in the net.
Take a look at the highlights:
The 1997-98 Kings are the only other team in franchise history to open with five straight games without a win. That group went 0-2-3 before finally winning in game six, then finished with 87 points and made the playoffs. Laviolette’s team entered this season expecting to be a playoff team too.
They also have company at the bottom. The Flyers are the only other team still looking for a first win.
Los Angeles doesn’t play again until Saturday, when the Bruins visit Crypto.com Arena.
