LA Kings are scoring more goals — heres why, and is there a cost involved

Last updated Unknown Edit Source

• News post

• Eric Stephens
• Shayna Goldman

Scoring is up again in the NHL. Three goals will still put a team in position to win but there could be more nights when four is necessary. Teams are averaging 3.19 goals per game, up from 3.14 last season. And last year was the highest mark since 1995-96. The Kings are trying to keep pace, and they’re ahead of the curve, averaging 3.3 goals per game.

• Gabe Vilardi
• Jonathan Quick
• Kevin Fiala
• Trevor Moore
• Arthur Kaliyev
• Viktor Arvidsson
• Sean Durzi
• Cal Petersen
• Matt Roy

• Todd McLellan

# Todd McLellan

Four seems to be a common number. I personally believe it’s going to be the race to three again at some point. I think everybody’s going to tighten things up. But I’ve been wrong many, many times. Fours are popping up all over the place. The team that can get to four and really check well has a chance at a championship, I believe right now, if it stays this way.

We do have some balance in our lines right now. I think it’s reflective in our record over the last five or six games. If we can keep everybody important and everybody balanced, we’ll be a better team for it.

We want the 5-0 win every night. And it’s not there. There’s a lot of 4-4 games, 5-4 games. Lots of offense. Not so much defense. … As you get better as a team, you’re looking for perfection on both ends. It doesn’t exist, and we still have a long way to go to really get to that point.

• Kevin Fiala is making an impact – and he could be doing more
• They’re now finishing the shots they do take
• The power play is less of a black hole
• The offensive boost is nice, but is it coming with a price?

# Trevor Moore

We have a lot of young guys that are growing and getting that confidence. And we’re getting good depth. We have four lines who can score now. When we have four lines that can score, it kind of rolls over and you can get more sustained o-zone (time).

# Matt Roy

I think guys are confident offensively, which is great. We still don’t want to give up four a night. But that being said, I think it’s great that guys are feeling good and guys are finishing right now. And hopefully we can keep that going.