Takeaways From Kings Finding a Way in Wonky, Low-Event Affair vs Canucks - The Hockey Writers Los Angeles Kings Latest News, Analysis & More

"Have you ever seen three goals be under review back-to-back-to-back in the first five minutes of the opening frame? What could have ended up being a hot start for both the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks, was instead the cause of a sloppy, discombobulated, low-event affair. A type of game the Kings have almost been accustomed to this season, and one they were able to climb out of victorious, collecting just their third home win of the season with a 2-1 overtime win over their Pacific Division rivals."

""It's hard. I mean, you get maybe one, two shifts, and a half hour goes by in real time," Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson said. "It's hard to get your body into it, kind of get your mind into it, but it slows it down, so good job by the guys to find a way. Not going to be pretty, usually after that, but found our rhythm as it went on.""

"Elias Pettersson, who has taken strides toward his old self, drove to the net before attempting to stuff one through Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg's pad on the first shift. The play was reviewed and determined not to have fully crossed the goal line. Andrei Kuzmenko, against the team that gave him his first taste of NHL action, made a sweet pass out front to Trevor Moore, who almost always fools goaltenders with his wicked release, and had no trouble beating Kevin Lankinen. Canucks head coach Adam Foote challenged the play for offside, which was successful. Then it was head coach Jim Hiller's turn to keep the game scoreless, who also challenged a play for offside, negating Canucks forward Aatu Räty's nifty tip off a Quinn Hughes shot from the point."

Three early goal reviews in the first five minutes disrupted the game's flow and led to a low-event, disjointed contest. Both teams struggled to build momentum after multiple stoppages and coach challenges negated potential scores. Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko each created early chances that were affected by reviews and offside challenges. Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson noted the difficulty of settling into the game after long pauses, but credited the team for finding a rhythm. The Kings ultimately prevailed 2-1 in overtime, marking their third home victory of the season against a Pacific Division rival.

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