Close but not good enough as Kings enter Game 3 — The Fourth Period

The Kings did a lot right, but not enough where it matters. They kept Colorado in another low-event, one-goal game, got a powerplay goal from Panarin, and again got strong goaltending from Forsberg. That should be a winning script often enough in the playoffs. The problem is they had five powerplays, a penalty shot, and multiple Grade-A looks, yet still produced only one goal. That is the series right now: structure is keeping them alive, finishing is keeping them behind.

Where Game 2 slipped away was late-game execution. After Panarin put them ahead, the Kings were less than seven minutes from stealing home ice. Instead, Colorado got the equalizer off a back door play to Landeskog, then finished a net-front scramble in overtime. Against a team this skilled, one lost assignment and one loose-puck sequence is enough.

The encouraging part for L.A. is that Colorado has not blown them off the ice. Players on both sides, Nathan MacKinnon and Trevor Moore have remarked about the competitiveness of both games. That matches the eye test: this is not a hopeless mismatch on the ice, even if it is 2-0 on the scoreboard.

The troubling part is more important: Colorado is comfortable living in exactly this game state. Avs head coach Jared Bednar said these are the kinds of games the Avs have to win, and Roy said Colorado is comfortable in low-scoring playoff hockey. If the Kings keep playing 2-1 games, they are asking for near-perfect execution against the Presidents’ Trophy winner.

Now the series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday night, and there is no need to dress this up. It is a must-win; lose it, and the series is done. Win it, and suddenly all the talk changes. Then it becomes a series again, with a building alive and pressure shifting, at least a little, back onto Colorado.

Following the Kings’ struggles on the powerplay in Game 2, there have been calls from some quarters to insert Andrei Kuzmenko into the lineup, with the aim of giving the unit another offensive threat that Colorado would need to account for. Kuzmenko’s reputation as a possession player suggests he could provide the kind of puck control and creativity that the Kings are currently missing. However, since his meniscus injury that kept him sidelined for two months, the team has shifted its style to a more aggressive, off-the-rush approach combined with harder forechecking.

This transition raises questions about Kuzmenko’s fit within the current structure. Placing him along the forward wall seems problematic, as his playing style does not align with the team’s new emphasis on speed and forechecking. Assigning Kuzmenko to third line duties – specifically on the Scott Laughton line – is not seen as a viable option, given his skillset and the roles required. Likewise, moving him to the fourth line would only be possible if Alex Turcotte is inserted as the fourth line center in place of Sami Helenius, but such a move would fundamentally alter the line’s identity. It is unlikely that coach D.J. Smith will make such a drastic change, given the importance of maintaining the current fourth line’s character.

The Kings do not need some dramatic reinvention heading into Game 3. They need more from the players who are supposed to decide games. They need one more finish from their top six. They need to protect the front of the net a little better in the biggest moments. And they need to make sure that if Forsberg gives them this level of goaltending again, it actually gets rewarded.

Because that is what is getting wasted here.

The Kings’ structure has been good enough for stretches. Their compete level has been good enough. But “good enough” only matters if it gets you one more goal than the other team. Right now, it is not.

That is why Game 3 is about more than survival. It is about proving this series is as close as it has looked.

3 Questions for Game 3

First, can the Kings turn territorial effort into actual offense at 5-on-5? That is the headline issue. Panarin or Adrian Kempe must drive another scoring play at even strength.

Second, can they protect a lead better? In Game 2 they finally got first strike and still could not close the last few minutes of regulation. Against Colorado’s puck movement, late-game details matter more than anything.

Third, does the home ice push the Kings into a more aggressive forecheck? Back in Los Angeles, Smith has last change and can try to get cleaner matchups. If the Kings are going to break through, it likely comes from making Colorado defend longer shifts instead of surviving and countering.

If you boil down my Game 3 preview to one line: the Kings do not need a massive tactical overhaul, but they do need one more finish, one cleaner closeout sequence, and a little more push from their top-six.

If the Kings win Thursday, everyone will say they were right there all along. If they lose, nobody will care how close it felt.