The NHL’s three-day Christmas break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Kings, who have recently hit a rough patch. After a 3-2 defeat against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena, the Kings have lost six of their last seven games heading into the break. Their schedule remains tough, with a return game on Saturday against the division-leading Ducks and a closing 2025 matchup on Monday versus the Avalanche, the league’s best team.
Coach Jim Hiller, asked about the team’s mid-season slump that has dropped them to the middle of the Pacific Division standings, admitted that it’s been difficult to understand. He noted that regardless of winning or losing, the team hasn’t really felt satisfied with their play, a standard they are still striving to reach.
It’s not just that the Kings are losing; the manner of their losses is concerning. Among the NHL’s 32 teams, the Kings have managed to score two or more goals in only two out of 11 games this month, which undermines what has been a strong defense — conceding only 91 points, the second-fewest in the league.
Trial changes were made by Hiller on Tuesday, notably mixing his lines and centering one around Alex Turcotte with wingers Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko. Both Fiala and Kuzmenko scored, but it wasn’t sufficient.
After a scoreless first period, Seattle took the lead early in the second with Jordan Eberle scoring his 13th goal of the season. This marked the fourth power-play goal the Kings allowed in the last two nights and the sixth in four games.
Seattle extended their lead with a strange goal involving a misjudgment by goaltender Feonix Copley that caused the puck to trickle into the net. Despite goals from Fiala and Kuzmenko narrowing the deficit, Kraken goalie Joey Daccord stopped 35 shots and secured Seattle’s victory, giving them their first three-game winning streak this season. The Kings suffered their second loss to Seattle in two weeks.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
Fan Take: The Kings’ current struggles highlight how critical momentum and morale are in hockey, showing that even strong defensive teams can falter without consistent offensive support. For fans, this downslide is a reminder that the grind of an NHL season can be brutal, impacting playoff hopes and the excitement of the sport.
