Kings Free Fall Continues With Another Anemic Showing

· Yahoo Sports

Another Saturday night loss leaves the Los Angeles Kings as the NHL's only winless team. (0-4-2) Los Angeles held a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes and played a solid first period, but missed chances and defensive breakdowns led to a 4-1 home win. 

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The Kings are now the only winless team remaining after losing to the Boston Bruins. For some perspective, LA didn't lose their sixth game last season until Oct. 25, when they were 3-3-3.

All things considered, the Kings were on the verge of their first win of the season, but the Bruins capitalized on several missed chances in the clutch by LA. 

Mikey Anderson spoke postgame after losing another disappointing game. 

"We came out good, like we want to at home, and then lost it along the way. It’s on the team. It’s on us.”

If the Kings keep playing this poorly, especially early in the season, where every loss reduces their chances of making the postseason, they should at least decide which direction they're going. 

The home team's anemic offense continued, as they scored one goal again in their fourth straight game. After scoring eight goals in their first two games, the Kings now have just four total goals in their last four games. 

Playing the NHL's slowest, least effective hockey raises the question of whether it's time for the Silver and Black to blow it up and rebuild around young talent. For the last 5-10 seasons, the pattern has been the same: the Kings make or miss the playoffs and go home early in the postseason, with no real success since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014. 

The bigger concern for Los Angeles isn't necessarily its six-game winless streak, but the possibility that the organization has reached its ceiling with the current core. Five consecutive first-round playoff exits, multiple coaching changes, and continued offensive struggles have left the Kings searching for answers.

General manager Ken Holland now faces a difficult question: Does he remain patient with a roster built to compete immediately, or begin looking toward the future with younger players such as Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, and Alex Laferriere?

Now, just over two weeks into the season, it couldn't have been a uglier start for a team with high hopes after hiring a new coach and switching to a new system. The Kings entered the season with expectations of improving on last year's terrible run, reaching the playoffs despite being 12 games below .500 and getting swept out. But six games without a victory have already raised serious doubts about whether this roster is capable of competing

If the Kings are going to be this bad for the rest of the season, they should at least have the courtesy to plan ahead for an increasingly impatient, loyal, and passionate fanbase.

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