Kings putting together a dominant stretch of defensive hockey

When it comes to defending, this might be one of the best mini stretches the Los Angeles Kings have had in quite some time.

The last time the Kings allowed an even-strength goal was against the Colorado Avalanche on November 13th. Mikko Rantanen struck at the 10:01 mark of the third period to break a 2-2 tie, and leading to an eventual Colorado victory.

After that?

190 minutes of perfect even-strength hockey over nine periods of play for the Kings. Of course, there were some great saves along the way and some penalty blips, too, but they have yet to be burned on even strength since their collapse in Denver.

Dylan Larkin scored on a wicked backhander with the goalie pulled while hosting Detroit. Jason Zucker got the only goal for the Buffalo Sabres to beat the Kings at home, but it was on the powerplay. Brandon Montour, who, like Larkin, scored with the extra attacker, was less flashy than the Detroit captain, finding twine off a screened shot.

It seems pretty clear that the Kings defense regrouped after the loss in Denver. They performed well against a .500 club in Detroit and then lost 1-0 to Buffalo.

Coach Jim Hiller described the Buffalo game as such:

"I thought it was a really good game, it was a high level game there tonight. Yeah, we had enough chances to score, but their goalie played well"

Was Hiller onto something, or seeing that the team was starting to assemble an excellent stretch of shut down hockey?

This team is as good defensively as it has been throughout the season. However, the offense is something to keep an eye on. The team has been playing in the offensive zone with much consistency in the past few games, resulting in few high danger looks.

The expectation is that the floodgates will open soon, right?

Three goals allowed in three games is something you can hang your hat on. Averaging just two goals per game during that same span either gives shades of Darryl Sutter-era winning hockey or an offense that needs a boost.

That boost may have just been answered last night in two ways.

Adrian Kempe scored his fifth goal in his last five games, and as a streaky goal scorer, this is a great time to capitalize on his goalscoring ability and rake in wins.

Quinton Byfield cashed in on a Leon Draisaitl-esque goal on the powerplay. Byfield was pointless in his last three and goalless in his previous five before Seattle.

Byfield is shy of .5 points per game (21gp, 3g-7a-10p, -1), but the Kings desperately need him to produce at a higher clip.

While Byfield needs to start taking steps to be 'the guy' in LA, the Kings have relied on a consistent duo in seasons past that has been mainly quiet to start this season.

Phillip Danault has the exact point total as Byfield but only has one goal this season. That's a four-goal pace this year, which he undoubtedly must exceed. His first season in LA, for reference, saw him score 27 goals.

Trevor Moore, the 30-goal scorer from a season prior, has fared slightly better than Danault and Byfield. With 13 points (3g-10a), he also has not met expectations in terms of goal scoring.

The Moore and Danault duo has not been scoring at their usual pace for the past few seasons, and with the Kings hosting a winning record, it gives hope that they can put it all together once they do.

Depth scoring will likely regress; the top line can only carry the team for so long, and the defense cannot hold forever.

With Byfield scoring and the Danault-Moore combo due any game now, the Kings have the potential to put together some of their best hockey of the season.