LOS ANGELES _ Drew Doughty was unequivocal on Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles Kings' veteran defenseman's faith unwavering even in the wake of a sudden losing skid that felt eerily similar to those that sunk the team last season.
"I know that we're a better team than we were last year," Doughty said. "There's no doubt about that."
The Kings' performance Wednesday night, however, was less convincing. In a 5-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks at Staples Center, they were outshot by a season-worst 49-24, surrendered a season-most four power-play goals, converted just one of their six man advantages, and dropped a season-high fourth game in a row.
Over their first dozen contests, the Kings' limitations were revealed. Despite gaudy shot and scoring-chance metrics, they struggle to convert their opportunities into goals. Their goaltending was inconsistent, if not unreliable. Most of all, their power play and penalty kill were worrisome works-in-progress.
But where complacency took hold last season _ leading to a last-place finish in the Western Conference and losing streaks of six, four and 10 games _ coach Todd McLellan this week tried to light a competitive fire under his squad.
The first-year bench boss inserted rookie forward Carl Grundstrom, who was recalled this week from the minors, into a new-look top line alongside Jeff Carter and Anze Kopitar. He healthy-scratched veteran Tyler Toffoli, snapping the forward's streak of 207 consecutive appearances (which had been the 20th-longest active such streak in the league). He replaced defenseman Joakim Ryan with Kurtis MacDermid.
The message: The Kings are willing to make changes in search of results. Their players understand the new standards.
"Last year, the frustrating thing was, early in the season everyone was saying, 'Oh, it will turn around. It will turn around. It's going to come.' It just never turned around," Doughty said. "This year ... it's about making it turn around. I think that's what our focus is in here. We're a lot more confident in this team this year than we were last year."
They looked so early Wednesday, striking first after Kopitar, who recorded his 900th career point, set up Carter in front of the Canucks goal for a backhanded finish.
But then the Kings' parade to the penalty box began. They took four minor penalties in the opening period, leading to two Canucks goals from Brock Boeser (a sharp-angle shot) and Bo Horvat (a deflected point shot). In the second and third, they took two more _ both of which the Canucks capitalized.
The Kings' power-play tied the game in the second as Adrian Kempe redirected a Kopitar pass for his first goal of the year. But at the 15:17 mark of the second, Boeser got behind the Kings' defense on a partial line change and lifted a backhanded deke past goalie Jonathan Quick's blocker.
Boeser scored again 55 seconds into the third _ the Canucks' third power-play goal _ after his centering pass deflected off Doughty's skate and into the net for his third career hat trick. Elias Pettersson sniped Quick on the man-advantage later in the period, dropping the Kings' penalty kill success rate to 68.8%.
The Kings will end the season's opening month with only eight points in 13 games, stuck in last place in the Western Conference. Already, vultures are beginning to circle (Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion and more than 20 other league scouts and executives were listed as Staples Center attendees Wednesday). The promise of the season's early weeks is fading fast. Yet, their search for answers continues.
