Ugly start buries Kings in loss against Penguins
Sloppy play leads to a three-goal first period allowed by the Kings in their 5-2 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Los Angeles Kings suffered a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 7th, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena. The Kings, currently sitting at 5-8-2 in the season, fell victim to an early onslaught in the first period. Tommy Novak scored twice within the first 20 minutes, capitalizing on rebounds and odd-man rushes. Mikey Anderson, another Kings forward, struggled to handle pucks during odd-man rushes, contributing to the team's downfall.
The Penguins led 2-0 by the end of the first five minutes. The Kings, coached by Peter Laviolette, called a timeout after the second goal to refocus, but it wasn't enough. The team's lack of readiness and execution led to further goals by the Penguins. Evgeni Malkin scored a game-tying goal just three minutes into the second period, and Evgeni Malkin sealed the deal with an empty net goal in the third period.
Despite having 28 shots compared to the Penguins' 19, the Kings couldn't convert their chances, highlighting their inconsistency early in the season.
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