Three weeks or so ago, with the new season looming, anyone looking at the Kings roster and its early season schedule might have surmised that they would slump from loss to loss, each time putting on a show hardly worthy of ranking in the National Hockey League. It's no surprise that the team doesn’t have a stellar record, entering this week 3-4-0, but none of their players have looked outclassed in any contest thus far.

That’s not to say that they’ve been unlucky in their losses. In fact, each time they’ve come out on the bad end of things, they’ve played nearly well enough to win. Most of the losses have featured a half period of sleepy play which has ended up being the difference. The coach thus far has maintained his composure and taken the long view when asked about these fades. And from the fan perspective, if you’re not counting wins and losses as everything, then the games have been entertaining.

In addition, two guys who were supposed to be doing well, captain Dustin Brown and center Patrick O’Sullivan, are. Brown entered Monday’s game leading the team in points with seven (3G, 4A) which he has gained in the last five games after starting out the season pointless in two. “Sully” is on a five-game point streak as well, with three goals and three assists. He missed the first game of the regular season after sitting out training camp as his contract details got ironed out.

But the question fans might have been asking as they left work Monday afternoon to crawl through traffic to Staples Center might have gone something like, “With Detroit in town, is this the night it all comes apart?” The Wings leave the impression every time they play in L.A. that they’re the most selfish people alive. At least, with the puck. No matter where it is on the ice, they gobble it up. They rarely give it away once they have it. It’s like the ice is smaller than normal when they get their game going.

Last season, the Wings took three of four games against the Kings, though the last of their meetings, in Detroit February 7th, the Kings stole one. They trailed 3-1 entering the third period, but they scored four times in the period to win 5-3.

For the Kings, even a loss against Detroit Monday might have been figured as a win had the team played a mature game. While it wouldn’t have gained them two points, it would have done something more to prove that they aren’t just a bunch of kids duffing along. And in the end, that’s exactly what happened.

The first period went well for the hometown crew, with the Wings scoring just past five minutes but the Kings holding their own through the middle going. They then scored at 10:46 on the power play, a shot from the point going partway through goalie Osgood and rolling across the crease to be whacked in by Oscar Moller. The young Moller played last year in the WHL with Chilliwack, recording more than a point a game at 39-44-83 in 63 regular season games. Following Monday night, he has two goals and two helpers in eight games this season.

Detroit outshot the Kings in the first 12-4 on route to that 1-1 score. They did show their strength in the last minute of the period, suddenly turning up the tempo and gobbling up the puck in an attempt to pot a late goal. It was to no avail, and the Kings had the final rush.

In the second period, each team scored a goal; the Kings were first. Kyle Calder passed it to Kopitar, who took a high wrist shot that bounced off Osgood’s chest. Calder meanwhile had followed the puck to the net, and he banged in the rebound. Through the period, the Kings put ten shots on goal, about what a team should do in a period, and this goal showed more than anything that coach Murray, who has been asking certain players to shoot more, is right in the request.

The Wings scored on a five-on-three, gained after two Kings were penalized on the same play. The goal was an individual effort, with Hossa breaking in through two players, beating another who was reaching for him, and firing a high wrist shot past LaBarbera. It almost looked like nobody on the Kings’ side expected him to come through the center. Osgood was credited with an assist on the play, so the surprise factor was due in part to the fact that the puck was moved up so quickly.

In all, the period was basically even in play, with the Wings not playing quite so strongly on the puck and the Kings doing an excellent job supporting each other with the puck. The score was 2-2 after 40 minutes of action.

The third began with a lucky goal for Alexander Frolov; he took a pass behind him off the glass and skated across the blueline, then shot a backhand toward the net. It went off the far side skate of Nick Lidstrom and past Osgood into the right side of the net. Those observing the game might have wondered whether this was return karma to the Kings to erase the death of the octopus which had been thrown onto the ice moments before. (Note to California readers: Prop. 2 on next week’s ballot makes no reference to octopi , too bad).

As the period went on, the Wings played steadily, but never took over. They had a number of good shots on Jason LaBarbera, but he played big, staying upright on the shots, managing the rebounds. This was never more true than when Michal Handzus took a penalty with about eight to go. The Wings had at least two good shots in close, but the Kings’ goalie stopped them cold.

And that’s how it would have ended, but for a moment of inattention by Denis Gauthier. He made a poor play with less than two minutes left, clearing a puck up through center. Valtteri Filppula grabbed it and blasted a wrist shot past LaBarbera to tie it at 3-3. Overtime yielded nothing, and then the Wings scored on their first two shootout tries, to the Kings no goals, and that was it.

So in the end, it was a loss, but a point. O’Sullivan said after, “We were so close to getting two, so it’s disappointing, but we got the one point. We’re going to get our fair share of wins this year, and we’re going to build on it.”

In capsule form, what happened was that the young Kings took no notice of the veteran team they were playing, instead playing a solid game themselves on defense and with the puck. Their reward was denied them by one mistake, but the team looked like a unit, not intimidated by the caliber of competition. This surely is another step forward.

Notes

The Kings scratched Brian Boyle, Matt Moulson, and Tom Preissing Monday night. Boyle has appeared in just three games thus far; Moulson has not dressed in the last three games and Preissing missed his third game in a row.

The team kicked off its participation in the Hockey Fights Cancer campaign on Monday night. Players from both teams wore special helmet decals; coaches and broadcasters wore special ties; and players wore special caps before and after the game, as did the backup goalies on the bench.

This week, the Kings and the Ontario Reign of the ECHL reached an official partnership agreement. The Reign now will serve as the team’s official ECHL affiliate. The Kings, as part of this arrangement, will assign a limited number of players to the minor league team’s roster and will also play a role in overseeing their hockey operations.

The Detroit game marked the first of a six-game home stand for Los Angeles. The team hosts Vancouver on Thursday night, followed by Calgary on Saturday. The latter game is the Hockey Night in Canada late feature. Good deals are available on four-packs of tickets.