For Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar, Tuesday’s season-opener was the beginning of the end while for Ken Holland, the team’s first-year general manager, it was the end of the beginning.
For both it was also a night to forget, with the Colorado Avalanche skating through, over and around the Kings in a dominant 4-1 victory built on second-period goals from Martin Necas, Sam Malinski, Artturi Lehkonen and a second Necas score midway through the third.
Kevin Fiala got the Kings’ only goal on the team’s third power play of the final period, though the score, coming with less than five minutes to play, was little more than a murmur of protest.