It's acceptable in the NHL to have one dominant line if it's also being supported by some decent play from the other three lines. The Los Angeles Kings, though, have been far too top-heavy of late.
A couple weeks ago, in search of any time of scoring boost, coach Darryl Sutter put his top three scorers on the same line, with Anze Kopitar centering Dustin Brown and Justin Williams. It has worked, but little else has worked.
The Kings lost 3-1 to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. In the seven games since Sutter made the line changes, the Kings' forwards have scored a total of 15 goals. Ten of them have come from Brown, Kopitar and Williams. Kopitar got the only goal Saturday.
The Kings' second line has three veterans -- Dustin Penner, Jarret Stoll and Mike Richards -- who should be able to score -- but that trio had only one shot on goal (from Stoll) through two periods against Colorado.
Sutter tried to shake things up further in the third period, as he moved rookie Andrei Loktionov up with Richards and Penner, but it didn't lead to much.
"It's hard to get shots when you don't have everyone playing the right way, I guess," Kings captain Dustin Brown said. "It's going to take 20 guys. Tonight, I don't think we had 20. It's hard to say (how many they did have) right after a game. I'm sure it will be clear on video, but we need more. You need four lines if you want to win games in this league, bottom line."
NOTES, QUOTES
--There hasn't been much rest this season for Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, and by all accounts, Quick hasn't needed it. Quick is an All-Star and has ranked in the top five in the NHL in goals-against average and save percentage for most of this season. Accordingly, he has started 41 of the Kings' 49 games this season. That might change after the All-Star break, though, coach Darryl Sutter said this week.
Coach Darryl Sutter said that because the Kings have a road-heavy schedule in February, and have seven sets of back-to-back games over the final two-and-a-half months of the season, he would be inclined to give more starts to backup goalie Jonathan Bernier, who has been solid of late but has made only eight starts this season.
--The Kings were unable to solve their penalty-kill woes, and the power play has reverted to its previous poor form. The Kings have now allowed at least one power-play goal in six consecutive games, The Kings killed a potentially dangerous double-minor penalty in the first period, but Colorado was able to clinch the game with a power-play goal in the final three minutes to take a 3-1 lead. The Kings went 0-for-3 on the power play. They had a power play in the final five mintues, when they trailed by one, but could not record a shot on goal.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "He's frustrated that we're not scoring goals and supporting him. I'm sure he will ever say that, but we've got to do that for him as well. We've got to get going, and that obviously includes our line as well." -- Kings winger Justin Williams, talking about goalie Jonathan Quick.
ROSTER REPORT
PLAYER NOTES:
--C Anze Kopitar provided the Kings' only offense, as he scored a second-period goal by tapping in a rebound of a shot by LW DustinBrown. Kopitar now leads the Kings in goals, with 15 -- he had previously been tied with C Mike Richards -- and Kopitar also has a team-high 44 points in 49 games. Kopitar now has eight points in his last seven games, with four goals and four assists in that span.
--It was a tough 26th birthday for G Jonathan Quick, who once again received almost no goal support and showed uncharacteristic frustration late in the game, when he took a slashing penalty. Quick, the Kings' lone All-Star this season, had allowed two or fewer goals in nine of his previous 10 starts.
--LW Dustin Brown assisted on the goal by C Anze Kopitar, as Brown's shot from the left circle led to a rebound. Brown has thrived since moving into a first-line showing with Kopitar and RW Justin Williams, and Brown has six points in his last seven games, with three goals and three assists in that span.
--RW Justin Williams assisted on the goal by C Anze Kopitar and has recorded at least one point in seven consecutive games, with three goals and six assists in that span.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--Simon Gagne (concussion) was put on injured reserve on Dec. 28 and is out indefinitely.
--Scott Parse (hip) was put on injured reserve on Nov. 9 and underwent surgery on Dec. 2. Parse will be out until at least early April and might be out for the season.
GOALTENDERS:
--Jonathan Quick.
--Jonathan Bernier.
DEFENSE PAIRINGS:
--Rob Scuderi, Drew Doughty.
--Willie Mitchell, Slava Voynov.
--Jack Johnson, Matt Greene.
FIRST LINE:
--LW Dustin Brown, C Anze Kopitar, RW Justin Williams.
SECOND LINE:
--LW Dustin Penner, C Mike Richards, RW Jarret Stoll.
THIRD LINE:
--LW.Brad Richardson, C Andrei Loktionov, RW Trevor Lewis
FOURTH LINE:
--LW Kyle Clifford, C Colin Fraser, RW Trent Hunter.
