Just when it looked like things couldn't get much uglier for the Los Angeles Kings, a complete collapse against the Buffalo Sabres has left the team frustrated. It also led to a veteran defenceman calling out his teammates for their play.
The Kings looked great after the first period against the Sabres last night, carrying a 3-1 lead into the locker room at the first intermission. Then everything went south as Buffalo powered back to win the game 5-3. Drew Doughty, Kings alternate captain and veteran of more than 1100 regular season NHL games, had seen enough. He decided to call out teammates he feel are far more concerned about themselves and their stats than the team winning.
Head coach Todd McLellan, who is likely feeling the heat as the Kings continue to fail to meet expectation, said the loss was the result of sheer stupidity.
Meanwhile, Doughty said the loss is not on any of the coaches and lies squarely at the feet of the players on the ice. He also stated he's bought this up several times in the dressing room this season. While he may be right, McLellan likely isn't going to last much longer if the Kings don't start winning, whether he deserves it or not.