#LAKings Kings done in by another slow start against Coyotes (Daily News)

• Kings goaltender Cal Petersen, right, stops a shot by Arizona Coyotes right wing Conor Garland during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, center, reacts after being hit in the face by the stick of Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe, right, as goaltender Adin Hill sits in goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. Kempe received a penalty on the play. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
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• Arizona Coyotes left wing Michael Bunting, center, tires to get a shot past Los Angeles Kings goaltender Calvin Petersen, left, as defenseman Mikey Anderson defends during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Arizona Coyotes left wing Michael Bunting, left, scores his second goal of the game as Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson, center and goaltender Calvin Petersen defend during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Arizona Coyotes left wing Michael Bunting, left, celebrates his second goal of the game as Kings center Anze Kopitar, second from right, and defenseman Mikey Anderson watch during the first period of Monday’s game at Staples Center. The Kings fell behind 3-0 and lost, 5-2. Bunting scored three goals. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
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• Los Angeles Kings left wing Andreas Athanasiou, left, and defenseman Kale Clague, right, go after the puck along with Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Los Angeles Kings right wing Alex Iafallo, right, tires to get a shot past Arizona Coyotes goaltender Adin Hill during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak, right, tries to get a shot past Los Angeles Kings goaltender Calvin Petersen during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Los Angeles Kings center Jaret Anderson-Dolan, left, and Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak go after the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Arizona Coyotes center Christian Dvorak, left, tries to get a shot past Los Angeles Kings goaltender Calvin Petersen during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
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• Arizona Coyotes right wing Clayton Keller, right, falls while under pressure from Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kale Clague, left, and Arizona Coyotes left wing Lawson Crouse vie for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Arizona Coyotes left wing Michael Bunting, below, celebrates after scoring his third goal of the game on Los Angeles Kings goaltender Calvin Petersen, top, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Arizona Coyotes left wing Michael Bunting, right, scores his third goal of the game on Los Angeles Kings goaltender Calvin Petersen during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Arizona Coyotes left wing Michael Bunting, center, celebrates with teammates after his third goal of the game was confirmed in a video review during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
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• Arizona Coyotes right wing Conor Garland, right, trips over Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Walker as he tries to score during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown, left, passes the puck as he falls while under pressure from Arizona Coyotes left wing Michael Bunting during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Arizona Coyotes left wing Lawson Crouse, left, and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Austin Strand battle for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Los Angeles Kings center Jaret Anderson-Dolan, left, tires to get a shot past Arizona Coyotes goaltender Adin Hill during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  
• Los Angeles Kings left wing Andreas Athanasiou, right, scores on Arizona Coyotes goaltender Adin Hill, left, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, April 5, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
  
  

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Though their opponents were the ones who played an overtime game the previous night, the Kings appeared to miss the start time Monday, falling behind by three goals early and losing to the Arizona Coyotes, 5-2, at Staples Center.
Arizona beat the Ducks, 3-2, in overtime on Sunday in Anaheim, while the Kings were off, but it was the Coyotes who broke strong out of the gate.
The Kings’ first period included four penalties, three goals against (two on the power play) and one timeout called as they played the Washington Generals to the typically workmanlike Coyotes’ Harlem Globetrotters early. The Kings eventually turned their play around, but to no avail.
In 37 games, the Kings have scored first just 13 times, winning 11 of those games. Of the 24 when they have allowed the opening goal they have won only three. They have allowed a goal in the first five minutes of each of their last three games, losing all three.
The Kings now trail Arizona by nine points for the West division’s final playoff spot. Though the St. Louis Blues are in a tailspin, having lost seven in a row, including six regulation losses, the San Jose Sharks have won four in a row to hurdle the Blues and Kings.
Defenseman Drew Doughty scored for the Kings. Cal Petersen bore the brunt of their rough start, ultimately making 28 saves.
Winger Michael Bunting turned in a hat trick; his three goals were one more than he had scored in his career to date. Center Derick Brassard and forward Christian Dvorak added a goal apiece for Arizzona. Defenseman Alex Goligoski, winger Connor Garland and defenseman Jakob Chychrun contributed two assists each. Adin Hill earned his sixth victory in his last seven appearances while making 36 stops.
Bunting opened the scoring 2:43 into the game when he loaded up a wrist shot for a one-timer from the high slot that hit the twine high to the blocker side. Garland had generated speed up the left wing boards and sent a backhand pass into the slot where it eluded Nick Schmaltz and continued to Bunting. He was wide open trailing a play that left four Kings defenders below the hash marks.
Less than two minutes later, Bunting struck again, this time on the power play. Chychrun, whose hat trick accounted for all three Coyotes goals in their victory over the Ducks on Monday, moved the puck to Goligoski for a shot from the left point. His rebound was put back by Bunting, whose stick was free despite the presence of Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson.
Arizona added an insurance goal when Brassard found quiet ice in the right faceoff dot during a power play. Garland handled the puck on the left side as Dvorak drove the middle. Brassard was all alone for a cross-ice pass that he one-timed past Petersen after dropping to one knee.
The Kings had killed 30 of their previous 31 penalties but allowed goals on back-to-back power plays Monday. Their second power-play goal allowed prompted a timeout from Coach Todd McLellan
With 3:53 left in the first period, the Kings not only got a goal back but also snapped their scoreless streak with the man advantage. Forward Adrian Kempe drew a defender to him as he glided toward the net, and then turned the puck back for Doughty. Doughty dragged the puck on his forehand to create a better shooting angle and rifled a shot through a Dustin Brown screen to make it 3-1.
The Kings were being out-shot 10-4 early but put the last seven shots of the frame on goal to out-shoot Arizona 11-10.
However the Kings did not carry much momentum into the second period, when they were out-shot by five and found themselves down three anew, despite a hit post by forward Trevor Moore.
Nearly nine minutes into the middle frame, Bunting completed his hat trick following some nifty puck movement that found Chychrun just above the left faceoff circle. He leaned into a wrist shot that glanced off both Bunting and Petersen. As the puck fell to the ice, Bunting beat defenseman Kurtis MacDermid to the juicy rebound.
With a little more than a minute to go, the Kings connected on a stretch pass by Petersen that sent Austin Wagner and Blake Lizotte off on a two-on-none rush. Wagner’s snap shot to the far side was blockered down and away from trouble by Hill.
Just over two minutes into the third period, the Kings closed to within two goals. Lizotte stole the puck off the forecheck and turned it back to defenseman Kale Clague, whose cross-crease pass was redirected in off Athanasiou’s backhand. It was Athanasiou’s second goal in his past 12 games.
Jeff Carter nearly cut the lead to one as the Kings stormed the net, but Hill stacked his pads and battled to freeze the puck. Carter was later stoned on a point-blank chance by a deft block by defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin.
The Kings pressed forward late but ended up giving an empty-net goal to Dvorak in the final minute.
More to come on this story.


https://www.dailynews.com/2021/04/05...ainst-coyotes/