As such, power forward Dustin Brown was a figure to watch intently as he looked to recover from a horrendous 27-point regular season.
It’s been more of the same thus far, though.
Despite notching a power-play goal on Tuesday night, Brown has floundered early on. The Kings have struggled to find their game overall, and it’s perhaps fitting that their captain’s performance has been emblematic of their foremost problem.
Puck Possession
The 10-5-4 Kings simply aren’t winning in convincing fashion at the moment, and much of that stems from an inability to dictate the flow.
They rank 15th in the league in Corsi percentage—a metric they’ve dominated in recent years—and can’t seem to impose their will for longer than an occasional flurry.
Not surprisingly, Brown’s possession numbers have dropped precipitously as well. This isn't to suggest that he's the sole or primary cause for the team-wide blemish. He is, however, falling well short of his previously established bar.
His Corsi percentage has plummeted from 57.7 last season to 47.1 this season. That’s the third-worst mark among Kings forwards. On the rare occasion when the puck does find its way to the net, it’s of little consequence. He’s registered the fourth-lowest on-ice shooting percentage (3.03) among L.A. forwards.
He’s still getting his touches, but he’s accomplishing virtually nothing with the puck.
Adding to the alarming nature of this decline is the rate at which his play is slipping. Sure, many of the Kings aren’t quite where they should be yet, but Brown’s slide has trumped just about all of theirs.
His relative on-ice Corsi (plus...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
