"The headlines were already buzzing before puck drop as the Kings recently shocked the league by shipping Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick. Combine that roster shock with Darcy Kuemper landing on injured reserve (IR) following last week's matchup against the Dallas Stars, and the Kings were desperate for a "get-right" game."
"The Kings came out looking flat, and Columbus wasted no time making them pay. Mason Marchment was recently traded to the Blue Jackets just two days ago. Five minutes in, Marchment capitalized on a power play to net his second as a Blue Jacket, firing a shot home for his sixth goal of the season. The Kings had their looks to level the score, but they couldn't find the finishing touch. With just 24 seconds left in the opening frame, disaster struck again. Marchment found the back of the net for his second power-play goal of the night, sending a disappointed Kings team to the locker room trailing 2-0."
"The second period was mostly stale and lacked excitement. At the ten-minute mark, things got heated when Corey Perry and Damon Severson were both sent to the box for roughing. The encounter led to some scrambling, but neither team could convert on the opportunity to score. With 60 seconds left, Andrei Kuzmenko whipped an incredible wrist shot past the Columbus netminder, Jet Greaves. Assisted by Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty, the goal brought excitement and life into the building and cut the lead to 2-1."
The Los Angeles Kings entered the game dealing with recent roster upheaval and an injured goaltender, Darcy Kuemper, on IR. Mason Marchment, recently acquired by Columbus, converted two power-play goals early to put the Kings behind 2-0 after the first period. The Kings cut the deficit to 2-1 late in the second when Andrei Kuzmenko scored on a wrist shot assisted by Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty. In the third period Columbus extended the lead when Kirill Marchenko scored with five minutes remaining, and the Kings were unable to overcome the deficit.
#los-angeles-kings #columbus-blue-jackets #phillip-danault-trade #power-play-goals #darcy-kuemper-ir
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