Los Angeles Kings’ bad October — by the numbers

The calendar is turning for the first time during the 2019-2020 NHL season and the Los Angeles Kings have been very disappointing.

The Los Angeles Kings‘ first month in the 2019-20 NHL season went about the same as last season: very little promise and continued struggles eroding what was once a team in the upper echelon of the NHL.

The Los Angeles Kings went 31-42-9 last season.

To illustrate how rough things have been after a 5-1to the Chicago Blackhawks on October 27th new coach Todd McLellan reamed his team stating:

After 13 games, the Kings are in last place the Pacific Divison with a 4-9-0 .(308) record and eight points. The Kings are 27th in the NHL and it’s hard to see where or how they will improve and make something of this very young season.

Here are the underlying numbers that mad October a bad month for the Los Angeles Kings.

68.8%

The Kings’ penalty-killing unit is atrocious. Their 68.8 penalty kill percentage is 30th in the league, which is just one point better than the Winnipeg Jets. The Kings’ inability to kill off penalties probably helps with their league-worst 54 goals against.

It’s shocking how fast the Kings have fallen given that just two years ago they were the league leaders in penalty kill percentage and goals against for the season. If the Kings’ special teams don’t get back to their play from two years ago, then it will be a long season with a lot of time being spent fetching goals out of the Kings net.

4.55

It is a time that Kings fans understand the day has come where Jonathan Quick is no longer a viable starter for this team. He is not young enough physically to withstand the terrible defense being played in front of him.

His 4.55 GAA is his worst and .858 save percentage represents the worst totals of his career. Very little evidence exists that there will be any improvement. The Kings are in the midst of a youth movement and that includes their defense, Quick can no longer rely on his reflexes to bail out the team and an inexperienced blue line makes him look his worst.

-4

Tyler Toffoli was a healthy scratch on October 30th, stopping a 207 game played streak for the veteran. This sent a message from McLellan that players who aren’t playing well will ride the bench.

It’s no surprise that Toffoli has been sent the message, Toffoli was a minus -6 during the Kings road trip, including a career-worst minus -4 in the game against the Blackhawks that that had McLellan so angry afterward.

Toffoli has three goals and two assists in his 12 games this year but he is a minus -4 and has not scored a single point in his time on the power play. After being left on the bench, speculation has already risen that Toffoli is being shopped by the Kings.