<p>The LA Kings came into last night&#8217;s game with 0 losses in regulation. They left with one.</p>
<p>Despite braintrust Dean Lombardi and Darryl Sutter having moved on, the LA Kings still have a very similar core: Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, Jake Muzzin, &#8230; okay and then they have a bunch of other guys. Brooks Laich? Alex Iafollo? Oscar Fantenberg?</p>
<p>Maybe they&#8217;re not quite the dominant force they used to be, but early in the season, the LA Kings have been able to PLAY. With a goal differential of +13 coming into last night, they&#8217;re showing that they&#8217;re not a team to be taken lightly at all.  This was a frustrating game, but over a team who was rolling, well, they all count the same.</p>
<p>Huzzah!</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s get right to the goals.</p>
<h2>Matt Martin goal: 1-0 Leafs</h2>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Matt Martin 1st Goal of the Season! 10/23/17 (Los Angeles Kings vs Toronto Maple Leafs)" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8hbbZ_71Yrk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Everyone likes when Matt Martin scores, because then we get to argue about whether or not he should be in the lineup.</p>
<p>Everyone also likes when Roman Polak gets an assist&#8230; because then we get to argue about whether or not he should be in the lineup.</p>
<p>As you can see in the video above, Mitch Marner skates. And skates. And skates, until he can&#8217;t skate anymore. A clean zone entry, another entry to Gretzky&#8217;s office, the puck back to the point, a hard shot from Polak, some crash and bang hockey, and then the puck hits Martin in front of the net.</p>
<p>This was an ugly goal, put together from one beautiful play by Mitch Marner.</p>
<h2>Tyler Bozak Goal: 2-0 Leafs</h2>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Tyler Bozak 2nd Goal of the Season! 10/23/17 (Los Angeles Kings vs Toronto Maple Leafs)" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/faoT06OBxlI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Analytics argue all day about faceoffs, but one thing is just obvious: If you win the offensive zone faceoff on a power play, you&#8217;ll have more time to operate.</p>
<p>Except sometimes you don&#8217;t need it.</p>
<p>Bozak &#8220;loses&#8221; the faceoff, LA&#8217;s C (Nick Shore) punches it out to JVR, JVR throws a wild pass past Marner, Marner picks up the bounce off the boards, passes it back down low to JVR, JVR kind of throws it towards the net, and then Bozak bangs home the rebound.</p>
<p>Eight seconds after the power play starts, it&#8217;s over and the Buds are up 2-0.</p>
<h2>Adrian Kempe Goal: 2-1 Leafs</h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550">
<p lang="in" dir="ltr">Kempe goal <a href="https://t.co/VSBK6CXEyv">pic.twitter.com/VSBK6CXEyv</a></p>
<p>&mdash; steph (@myregularface) <a href="https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/922625756110475265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Add that one to the &#8220;should&#8217;ve had it&#8221; column, TSN.</p>
<h2>Mitch Marner Goal: Still 2-1 Leafs</h2>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe loading="lazy" class="youtube-player" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vj8UOUWuQLY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></span></div>
<p>Like, what the h*ck? The goal didn&#8217;t count because of goalie interference, but&#8230; Jonathan Quick was in position? Call it what you will, but Mitch Marner scored his second goal of the season, if you ask me.</p>
<h2>Patrick Marleau Goal (3-1 Leafs)</h2>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Patrick Marleau 4th Goal of the Season! 10/23/17 (Los Angeles Kings vs Toronto Maple Leafs)" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4XEJAy3tQ7Q?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Patrick &#8220;no signs of slowing down&#8221; Marleau pots in his fourth goal of the year within a minute after the Marner review ended&#8230; so they reviewed this one too. There&#8217;s not a whole lot to analyze here: Marleau batted the puck down in front of the net (with a potential high stick) after a point shot from Morgan Rielly. There was a quick review, and even a good case to call it off, but in the end, it didn&#8217;t matter and the Leafs were up by two.</p>
<h2>Trevor Lewis Goal (3-2 Leafs)</h2>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe loading="lazy" class="youtube-player" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-QSiDJYkqkE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></span></div>
<p>Well, here&#8217;s where things got a little interesting.</p>
<p>On a power play, the Leafs did bad. Despite a mostly good game, Morgan Rielly couldn&#8217;t keep the puck in at the blueline, and well, Trevor Lewis took advantage. A breakaway, a clean move, then, a little back and forth and&#8230; the puck is past Andersen.</p>
<p>Then the Leafs&#8230; held on. No blown leads tonight.</p>
<p>See you Thursday.</p>


The LA Kings came into last night's game with 0 losses in regulation. They left with one.

Despite braintrust Dean Lombardi and Darryl Sutter having moved on, the LA Kings still have a very similar core: Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, Jake Muzzin, ... okay and then they have a bunch of other guys. Brooks Laich? Alex Iafollo? Oscar Fantenberg?

Maybe they're not quite the dominant force they used to be, but early in the season, the LA Kings have been able to PLAY. With a goal differential of +13 coming into last night, they're showing that they're not a team to be taken lightly at all.  This was a frustrating game, but over a team who was rolling, well, they all count the same.

Huzzah!

Let's get right to the goals.
<h2>Matt Martin goal: 1-0 Leafs</h2>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hbbZ_71Yrk

Everyone likes when Matt Martin scores, because then we get to argue about whether or not he should be in the lineup.

Everyone also likes when Roman Polak gets an assist... because then we get to argue about whether or not he should be in the lineup.

As you can see in the video above, Mitch Marner skates. And skates. And skates, until he can't skate anymore. A clean zone entry, another entry to Gretzky's office, the puck back to the point, a hard shot from Polak, some crash and bang hockey, and then the puck hits Martin in front of the net.

This was an ugly goal, put together from one beautiful play by Mitch Marner.
<h2>Tyler Bozak Goal: 2-0 Leafs</h2>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faoT06OBxlI

Analytics argue all day about faceoffs, but one thing is just obvious: If you win the offensive zone faceoff on a power play, you'll have more time to operate.

Except sometimes you don't need it.

Bozak "loses" the faceoff, LA's C (Nick Shore) punches it out to JVR, JVR throws a wild pass past Marner, Marner picks up the bounce off the boards, passes it back down low to JVR, JVR kind of throws it towards the net, and then Bozak bangs home the rebound.

Eight seconds after the power play starts, it's over and the Buds are up 2-0.
<h2>Adrian Kempe Goal: 2-1 Leafs</h2>
https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/922625756110475265

Add that one to the "should've had it" column, TSN.
<h2>Mitch Marner Goal: Still 2-1 Leafs</h2>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj8UOUWuQLY

Like, what the h*ck? The goal didn't count because of goalie interference, but... Jonathan Quick was in position? Call it what you will, but Mitch Marner scored his second goal of the season, if you ask me.
<h2>Patrick Marleau Goal (3-1 Leafs)</h2>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XEJAy3tQ7Q

Patrick "no signs of slowing down" Marleau pots in his fourth goal of the year within a minute after the Marner review ended... so they reviewed this one too. There's not a whole lot to analyze here: Marleau batted the puck down in front of the net (with a potential high stick) after a point shot from Morgan Rielly. There was a quick review, and even a good case to call it off, but in the end, it didn't matter and the Leafs were up by two.
<h2>Trevor Lewis Goal (3-2 Leafs)</h2>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QSiDJYkqkE

Well, here's where things got a little interesting.

On a power play, the Leafs did bad. Despite a mostly good game, Morgan Rielly couldn't keep the puck in at the blueline, and well, Trevor Lewis took advantage. A breakaway, a clean move, then, a little back and forth and... the puck is past Andersen.

Then the Leafs... held on. No blown leads tonight.

See you Thursday.

Morning-after recap: Grit wins hockey games

Recent articles from h0ckeyfan

Breaking News