LA Kings open season with shutout of Philadelphia Flyers

The LA Kings took care of business against Philadelphia on opening night.

The Los Angeles Kings opened their 2017-18 NHL season with heavy hearts as the organization honored the life of Christiana Duarte, an employee who was tragically killed in the shootings that took place at a music festival in Las Vegas.

The organization honored all the victims of the mass shooting and planned a fundraiser where the team would match the dollar amount raised during the game.

As for the game itself, the LA Kings faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers hoping to catch them weary and tired after the Flyers opened their season the night before in San Jose.

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The Kings defeated the Flyers 2-0 by playing Kings’ brand of hockey with secondary scoring, tight defense, and great goal-tending from Jonathan Quick.

The Kings checked off all the boxes as they opened the scoring in the second period thanks to the fourth line of Kyle Clifford, Nick Shore, and Trevor Lewis.

Lewis got the goal as he stuffed a pass from Shore passed Flyers goaltender Michal Neuvirth. For a team that struggled to score last year, contributions from the “bottom” 6 forwards will help in the scoring department.

The Kings defense was not as tight as they should have been giving up 35 shots, but that was mostly due to giving up five power play opportunities.

The Kings defense choked off the Flyers offense killing all five penalties, and they kept the Flyers big guns at bay.  Flyers forward and ex-Kings player had a hat trick in opening night but against the Kong’s defense he couldn’t only muster one shot.

A year ago Jonathan Quick played one period of hockey on opening night before he was sidelined for 5 months with a severe groin injury, by the time he returned to the team he was unable to prevent them from missing the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Starting off the season healthy and fresh Quick looked in mid-season form stopping all 35 shots extending his Kings record 45th career shutout.

Quick looked agile and spry able to make the side to side moves to prevent goals, showing no lingering signs of the groin injury. If Quick is able to be consistent in goal that’s going to be bad news for the rest of the league.

Before the game the Kings withheld defenseman Alec Martinez after a practice injury from earlier this week, it’s being downgraded as a day to day injury. Losing an important part of the defense hurt them last year, but youth and depth pulled them through for one night.

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It was one night but the Kings gave a performance that reminded fans of the years past when they were in the conversation of the elite teams in then NHL.  It remains to be seen if they will get back there, but opening night showed great promise for the rest of the season.