Kings desperate to find offensive spark with backs against wall

As desperate as the Kings will be to extend the series, the Avalanche will be just as motivated to finish it.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s important. We’ve got a team down, you want to keep them down, and if you have an opportunity to close it out, you want to do that,” Landeskog said. “Having said that, the fourth one is always the toughest one. So, we’ll make sure we get our rest here tomorrow and Saturday, and then get back at it.”

Meanwhile, the Kings were once again wondering what they have to do to get an edge on the Avalanche. Through three games, the Kings have led the Avalanche for just three minutes, 21 seconds, and that was when Artemi Panarin’s power-play goal gave them a 1-0 lead at 13:04 of the third period in Game 2.  

“We keep saying we’re right there, but I think each guy, including myself, we have to give a little bit more,” Kings forward Quinton Byfield said. “We’re doing the right things, but we just have to dig in a little more.”

The “more” they have to do is score. The Avalanche haven’t blown out the Kings at any point, but they’re scoring in various ways. On Thursday, they came through with even-strength and short-handed goals. When they’ve gotten chances, they’ve capitalized.

“We have to keep doing a lot of the things we are doing. Obviously, we have to clean up giving up some of these chances that we’re giving up and we’d like to get more than two goals,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. “We have one (goal) in the first two (periods), and two tonight, and unfortunately against this team, I don’t think that’s enough.”

No, it’s not, and there haven’t been enough even-strength goals for the Kings, either. Trevor Moore’s goal at 5:55 of the second period, which tied the game 1-1 at the time, was only the second even-strength goal the Kings have gotten against the Avalanche in six games (three in the regular season and three this postseason).