We’re only two games into the NHL regular season, and yet it's already evident that the Los Angeles Kings have a few glaring weaknesses. Sure, there are still 80 games left to go, and we shouldn’t hit the panic button yet, but this is a big issue that could cost the Kings a playoff spot.
Against the Colorado Avalanche and the Las Vegas Golden Knights, the Kings’ biggest problems on the ice were committing too many penalties, poor defense, and neutral-zone turnovers.
These costly mistakes nearly derailed them to a 0-2 start to the season. Thankfully, they pulled out a miraculous win last night against the Golden Knights after getting embarrassed at home against the Avs, but they need to make adjustments heading into their next games.
Anton's first win as a King 🤴 pic.twitter.com/dVnaCVHFEm
— LA Kings (@LAKings) October 9, 2025
Penalties Continue to Hurt
In the season opener against Colorado, the Kings played so bad that it was offensive to watch. Los Angeles took seven penalties, putting constant pressure on their penalty-kill unit.
The key moment came when the Avalanche capitalized on one of the Kings' penalties and scored in the power play by Martin Necas from the right side of the ice. There was a lot of poor discipline from the Kings in that game, which led to extended time in the defensive zone and disrupted LA’s offensive momentum.
Against Vegas, the Kings performed much better in terms of penalties and looked more effective offensively, but some of their other problems got much worse. One of their major penalties was when Alex Turcotte committed midway through the second period, which completely shifted the game's tone.
Power-Play Defense Collapse
The Kings held a 3-1 lead heading into the second period, but two major power-play goals turned that lead into a 3-5 deficit just like that, looking like the Kings were going to have a meltdown of a game.
It was really against Vegas that the power play looked weak and lacked cohesion. A Golden Knights team that was one of the best on the power play last season, it was no surprise that with Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel, they would look even better this season.
The breakdowns from the Kings weren’t just about not being in the right place at the right time; it was slow rotations and late reactions. Vegas exposed those gaps to move the puck freely and find open looks, exposing the Kings' defensive unit that was looking completely lost out there.
It’s only two games into the season, and it’s clear the Kings’ Achilles’ Heel lies in their undisciplined penalties, inconsistent power-play defense, and neutral-zone miscues. This is how the games will look for Los Angeles this season, ending in shootouts and high-scoring thrillers.
But if the Kings are going to contend in this tough division, they must clean up those areas quickly.
Kings game morning hangover recap
— Russell Morgan (@NHLRussell) October 9, 2025
- Bet we’ll see a lot of games like that one this season. 🫠
- Superstar performance from Q.
- Clarke needs to play more than 15:20.
- We should stop the trade Moore talk.
- I’m over the 2-5 pairing.
- 10:30am pt on Sat @ WPG#GoKingsGo