This was a winnable game for the Kings, but they’ve defined their season with one epic loss after another.
Against a team that played the previous night, the Kings couldn’t win the third period Saturday. They gave up the game-winning goal on an unacceptable turnover and rallied short despite an improved power play.
The Vancouver Canucks walked out of Staples Center with a 4-2 win to end an eight-game losing streak, yet another dagger in this epically bad Kings season.
Ilya Kovalchuk has disappeared. Signed to a three-year, $18.75-million contract, Kovalchuk has gone from top-line left wing and first power-play unit to third-line wing and second power-play unit.