This time last year, things went well for the Los Angeles Kings. On December 9, 2023, almost a year ago to the day, they took their 16-4-3 record to Nassau County to face the New York Islanders after an NHL-record 11 games in a row won.
What happened that night changed the trajectory of the Kings season in unimaginable ways.
After taking a 2-0 lead, the Kings collapsed and lost to the Islanders 3-2 in overtime. In that game, Islanders veteran Anders Lee dominated LA physically. His play in the gray area, combined with a lack of response from the Kings, turned the game on its head. First he took Vladislav Gavrikov out of the match with a knee-on-knee collision.
Later he killed Arthur Kaliyev and temporarily stunned him.
Moments after the contact with Kaliyev, Lee scored to put the Islanders on the board late in the game. Then, at 15:49, he tied the score at 2, ultimately forcing overtime. The rest is history and not the good kind for the Kings.
The Islanders won the game. Kaliyev and Gavrikov played the next night at Madison Square Garden, but Gavrikov was on Injured Reserve just six days later and never seemed completely healthy for the rest of the season. The Kings went on to lose a whopping 17 of their next 23 games and never showed the brilliance they showed in the first 23 games of that season.
It seems crazy to suggest that one team or player broke the 2023-2024 Los Angeles Kings. But the way that game and the rest of the Kings season played out downgrades the idea crazy Unpleasant sensitive. Not only did the Kings fail to respond directly to Lee in that game, but they also failed to respond to any kind of adversity until that season’s All-Star break.
Fast forward a year. On December 10, 2024, the Los Angeles Kings, with their 16-8-3 record, will visit Anders Lee and the New York Islanders. Never accuse the NHL schedule makers of lacking a sense of humor.
It would be a stretch to suggest the Kings have counted down to this game or have Lee’s number in their locker room. However, it is sensitive to think that there is any awareness on the LA side of the significance this game has. It is too sensitive to think that the seeds of GM Rob Blake’s plan to make the Kings a tougher team to play against were planted right after that game.
It all makes for a very interesting game and road trip for LA. Aside from last season’s Anders Lee butterfly effect, December is a month where the Kings have historically struggled. It remains to be seen if this silver and black version is really different from previous versions. But for what would otherwise have been another game on the schedule, tomorrow’s puck drop against the Islanders is the first layer of what could be a season-defining series of games for the Kings.
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