Just over a week ago we debuted our new series X’s and O’s, focused on breaking down the tactics that the Kings will use this season. While initial plans had us waiting for the season to start, where we could gather a library of additional film to break down, there’s no time like the present. After Saturday’s preseason game against Anaheim, it was clear we needed to talk about the power play.
LA had four man advantages and converted on two of them. However, they didn’t just have two chances to score — there were multiple scoring attempts showcasing perfect setups, even if they didn’t find their way to the back of the net.
From breakouts to zone entries to outstanding puck movement in the offensive zone, the Kings looked more ready to attack on the power play than they have since the 2022-23 season — when they boasted the fourth-best power play in the league. Let’s take a look.
(Puck) Movement is Medicine
LA’s power play was practically on life support the past two seasons, ranking 27th in 2024-25 and 28th in 2025-26. It’s very early, but Peter Laviolette and Ray Whitney appear to have found a cure for some of the team’s woes in this area.
The Kings are primarily running a 1-3-1 power play structure: one man at the point, three men in the middle, and one man net-front or down low. That’s the same formation the Kings ran under Jim Hiller’s tenure as head coach, yet the execution couldn’t have been more different on Saturday.
In that formation, there are two fundamental ways a team can attempt to manipulate the opposition’s penalty killers. First, change levels. Second, change sides. The objective is to move defenders, or at least their attention, away from where you ultimately want to attack. It’s a type of sleight of hand where a player creates movement and uncertainty until they’ve opened up time and space for a shooter.
Watching the game against Anaheim, Laviolette’s guys were showing off passes that were fast, crisp, and purposeful, utilizing puck movement up, down, and across the ice. Nowhere was it clearer than on Mats Zuccarello’s goal.
Notice how after Quinton Byfield makes a tremendous save to hold the puck in at the blue line, he sends the puck down low. Artemi Panarin receives the pass, taps the puck to Adrian Kempe who then passes it right back. This movement distracts the defenders, leaving Zuccarello wide open backdoor. Panarin makes the easy cross-slot pass and it’s in the back of the net before the Ducks know it.
That’s the whole principle behind a 1-3-1 attack — and it’s a perfect execution of it. Change levels, change sides, and do it fast enough that the penalty killers shade in a direction that leaves a man open. An individual pass may be harmless, yet four in quick succession creates a high-danger scoring chance.
Breakout Role
Now to examine how the Kings exit their zone. Against Anaheim they ran a double-drop breakout, which means the defenseman — in this case Brandt Clarke — carries the puck up the ice with two forwards trailing. In this example, Clarke drops the puck to Kempe, who in turn drops the puck to Panarin. Once the drops occur, the Kings drive the zone to get a clean entry without dumping the puck in.
The goal of this is to build speed to catch the penalty killers on their heels and enter the zone with possession. Keep an eye on this type of sequence once the season begins, as it will be a major key to generating scoring chances on the man advantage.
Last season, it was Byfield who led the team in controlled zone exits and controlled zone entries. This season, you can expect it to be Panarin.
Take a Lap
Panarin will undoubtedly be the driver of this year’s power play. His puck possession, creativity, and passing are unparalleled on the roster, and as a result he has the freedom to direct the power play in the moment as he chooses.
That freedom is by design, and Laviolette said as much on the second day of training camp.
“I don’t want to do anything that constrains him from reaching that [elite] level,” noted LA’s bench boss.
What does that look like in practice? On the All The Kings Men Podcast, Ray Whitney described the approach simply: “There’s going to be creativity and movement with a base concept in place.”
The base concept is the 1-3-1, and the creativity and movement are what Panarin brings to it.
Picking up from the last clip, Panarin enters the zone with speed but immediately faces pressure. He draws the penalty killers down the half wall and reverses the puck to Zuccarello to establish possession. Then he takes a lap around the offensive zone.
Rotating around the formation like that moves more than Panarin. His teammates rotate with him.
When he moves up the far wall, he receives a pass and heads toward the point. Clarke then drops down and ends up taking the wing. Because Clarke takes the wing, Byfield moves into the bumper spot. It’s dynamic, fluid positionless hockey.
Once Panarin reaches the point, he passes to Zuccarello who draws the defense’s attention, and quick-fires a pass back to Panarin for a shot.
While he would end up whiffing on the one-timer that Zuccarello sets up, Panarin’s shift in position is what created the space for him to get a look at the net in the first place.
Swing and a Miss
Now that we’ve seen one quality chance go unfinished, we’d be remiss not to highlight another. This pass from Panarin was so good that it caught Byfield completely off guard.
Because of the 5-on-3, Byfield is able to cheat down low. He has his stick inside the blue paint and he’s ready for an easy tap-in goal. However, Panarin’s deception makes it look like he’s firing on net, not passing, which causes Byfield to lift his stick and be just a moment too late to receive the pass and cleanly bury the puck.
Despite the misses, the Kings still converted on two of their four man advantages.
Yes, it’s only preseason. No, they won’t be batting .500 during the regular season. But the success rate isn’t really what stood out on Saturday. It was the entries, the movement, and just how effortless it all looked.
While one good night in September doesn’t mean much, a structure that can keep producing these looks in late April will.
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