Leafs road trip takes another wrong turn in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES—With each mounting loss, this lengthy Maple Leafs highway journey is attending to really feel a lot longer.

It was one other flat effort Saturday evening in opposition to the Los Angeles Kings, and one other defeat — this one 4-2, with Ilya Samsonov usually left to fend for himself within the Leafs web.

John Tavares and Pierre Engvall, together with his first of the season, scored for the Leafs, who’ve but to realize traction or present any indicators of having the ability to dominate the opposition.

It was their third loss in a row (0-2-1) on a five-game journey that truly began with a win, every week in the past in Winnipeg, and is about to mercifully finish Sunday in Anaheim.

Engvall, Justin Holl and Rasmus Sandin could possibly be singled out for giveaways and penalties. Sandin, for instance, was simply stripped of the puck by Kevin Fiala for a breakaway and the Kings’ insurance coverage objective early within the third.

However it was group effort — or lack of effort — that doomed the guests from the onset of the second interval.

It was their fifth loss in 9 video games (4-4-1) and fourth in opposition to groups that didn’t make the playoffs final yr (Montreal, Arizona, San Jose and Vegas).

The Kings made the post-season, and play a method that flummoxed the Leafs, extra of a team-first strategy versus the extra individualistic Leafs who depend on elite gamers to hold the group.

To date, Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly are usually not doing that, and the help gamers are struggling to make performs on a group responsible of gradual begins to intervals, and taking too many penalties.

It’s arduous to know the place coach Sheldon Keefe can flip for assist. They don’t have any open roster spots, and the rotation of wholesome scratches with fourth-liners doesn’t appear to be having the specified impact.

Good, dangerous and ugly

Tavares, parked together with the web, scored the lone objective of the primary interval. It got here on the facility play, and for simply the third time in 9 video games the Leafs scored first. However issues turned ugly within the second interval.

Holl, the goal of a lot criticism these days, gave his critics extra purpose to complain. He took two penalties within the second that led to Kings targets. Adrian Kempe scored on a one-timer to tie the sport. Then Viktor Arvidsson gave the Kings the lead, with Engvall enjoying the goat. His backhand cross up the center gifted the Kings the chance that Arvidsson capitalized on.

Gabriel Vilardi made it 3-1 because the relentless assault of L.A’s high line in opposition to the Tavares unit with Holl and Rielly defending proved an excessive amount of to take.

The Leafs received inside one late within the third when Engvall, maybe atoning for his earlier sin, one-timed a cross from David Kämpf.

Black and blue

Leafs nation turned out in nice numbers, their “Go Leafs Go” chant rivalling “Go Kings Go.” They have been the one ones sporting blue and white in Crypto.com Enviornment. The Leafs wore their predominantly black Justin Bieber-designed Reverse Retro jerseys.

“It’s at all times good to strive one thing totally different,” mentioned Matthews. “They went over fairly good final yr. The fellows are excited to put on them.”

The Kings wore whites, uncommon for the house group, with glittery silver helmets.

Král house

Filip Král, a 23-year-old defenceman from the Czech Republic, noticed his first recreation motion with the Leafs, paired largely with Mark Giordano. He received the rookie therapy, skating a warmup lap on his personal earlier than teammates joined him.

He mentioned he was mainly this many days outdated earlier than he realized he could possibly be ok to play within the NHL: “Nicely, you consider it, however I might say my age proper now, not earlier than that.”

The previous Spokane Chief mentioned he was a bit overwhelmed enjoying his first recreation at Crypto.com Enviornment in Los Angeles, one of many greatest cities within the NHL.

“I realized the opposite day I used to be going to play in L.A.,” he mentioned. “I’m used to enjoying in small cities.”

Ex-Kings

Leafs Jake Muzzin (neck) and Kyle Clifford (shoulder), who each gained the Stanley Cup with the Kings, watched from the press field. Muzzin was on the 2012 and 2014 Cup champions. Clifford assisted on the 2014 Cup-clinching objective in extra time.

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