Second Period Lapse Overshadows Rookie Milestones: Avalanche Squeak Past Kings, 4-3
October 21, 2008 4 Comments
LOS ANGELES — As in most professional sports, in the National Hockey League, one or two mistakes are often the difference between winning and losing, and the young Los Angeles Kings learned that lesson the hard way on Monday night in a 4-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in front of an announced crowd of 13,891 fans at Staples Center.
Ryan Smyth led the way for the Avs with two goals, including the game-winner scored at 16:32 of the second period, spoiling the night for Kings rookie forward Oscar Moller and rookie defenseman Drew Doughty, who both scored their first NHL goals.
Moller opened the scoring on the power play at 6:19 of the first period, only to see Smyth tie the game on a wrist shot from the left circle at 11:28. Smyth’s goal came as a result of the first and only strong shift by the Avs in the period.
Left wing Patrick O’Sullivan gave the Kings a 2-1 lead with a goal at 3:02 of the second period, but then the wheels fell off the Kings’ cart. Read more of this post
