Early Kings Trends: Slow starts and late fireworks

In years past, the Los Angeles Kings took pride in keeping their third periods quiet—sometimes even a bit dull. That might bring to mind the Darryl Sutter days, but you don’t have to go that far back.

Just last season, the Kings scored 82 goals in the third period (1.00 per game) and allowed 76 (0.93 per game). Only five teams allowed fewer goals in the third period than LA, and only four teams saw fewer total goals (both scored and allowed) in those final 20 minutes. In fact, Kings’ games averaged just 1.93 third-period goals, putting them in the bottom five for third-period scoring across the league.

This season, however, the story has shifted.

After 17 games, the Kings are tied for the league lead in third-period goals with 28 (1.64 per game). When looking at total third-period goals—goals both scored and allowed—LA is far ahead of any other team. Their games have featured a league-high 49 third-period goals, averaging 2.88 per game. The next closest team, New Jersey, sits at 42.

Interestingly, the opposite seems to be happening with the Kings in the beginning of games. They are among the lowest scoring first period teams in the NHL with 11 goals, an average of 0.64. They’ve also allowed just 10 goals in the first (0.58 per game) and their games have seen just 21 total first period goals (for and against). That’s the second lowest total and average (1.23) in the NHL.

After 17 games, it’s hard to draw a conclusion from these numbers. The Kings are finishing games on the front foot, but their starts haven’t been there in terms of offense. For now, this is nothing more than an interesting trend to keep an eye on.