INSIDER: Kevin Fiala Delivered in Pittsburgh

After last night’s game against Pittsburgh, I found myself drawn back to the Kings’ 4-2 victory in Carolina last season.

In both instances, the Kings were in one, you could say. It was substantially worse last season, with the Kings coming off a disastrous month of January, both offensively and in terms of wins and losses. This season, the struggles to score 5-on-5 were present and team performance has been very up and down. While not as bad as that January spell of games, the Kings were admittedly kind of in one coming off a homestand with just three of a possible eight points.

Naturally, we won’t know if yesterday’s win over Pittsburgh can deliver the same kinds of results, generating the consistency going forward that last season's win over Carolina brought, putting the team back on track. What we do know, though, is that in both instances, it was forward Kevin Fiala who put the team on his back to deliver a necessary victory.

In Carolina last season, Fiala scored two terrific individual goals, showcasing his gamebreaking offensive ability. Last night, with the game tied at two, he did so again. The silky first move created that half step of room around Pittsburgh defenseman Erik Karlsson before a deke back to the forehand allowed him to finish top shelf for the game-winning goal, delivering a big victory for the Kings.

It's just something Fiala has in his game, right?

When he’s at his best, he’s the most dynamic player on the Kings. Frankly, when he’s at that level, he’s one of the most dynamic players in the NHL. It’s the element the Kings acquired him to deliver and when he does, you really get to appreciate the skill level he brings.

“He's one of the most talented guys around,” Head Coach Jim Hiller said of Fiala. “You almost expect it all the time, it's hard to deliver that all the time, but he can break a game.”

If you watched yesterday’s game, you don’t need the statistics. You saw who the best player on the ice was.

If you didn’t, though, Fiala’s statline told the proper story. A goal and an assist, on top of a team-best seven shots on goal, six of which came 5-on-5. Fiala finished with 11 shot attempts, five scoring chances and three high-danger chances, all of which led the Kings. It was a vintage offensive performance from Fiala, in a game the Kings really needed it.

"Kevin was strong all game and it just felt like Kevin was going to get something, he had been really good," Hiller added. "He had been the best player the whole game, so I thought it ended the way it should've, with him making a great play and scoring the goal."

It came to start a long trip. Hiller said he talked with Fiala before the game and that he and the Swiss winger agreed that in order for the Kings to get a positive result, they’d need a strong showing from Fiala. It was in that conversation that it seemed as if Fiala asked Hiller for more. More minutes, more responsibility, a chance to show that he can be the difference maker the Kings needed.

As Hiller put it after the game, he said Fiala asked him for more and backed it up with his play.

“Deliver, that’s the part I like,” Hiller said of that conversation with Fiala. “You say, ‘get me out there, I’m going to deliver’ and you do it……what a game.”

It’s nice to hear Hiller say that about Fiala.

There’s certainly been a lot of growth in their relationship over the last 18 months. Both spoke extensively last season about how their honest communication with each other really helped to get Fiala firing during the second half of the season, when his game really took off. It wasn’t always that way, but it was nice to see both sides commit to bettering the situation after a difficult start. Hiller needed to show more trust in Fiala and Fiala needed to do certain things within the structure of the team. Both did and he's really thrived since.

Hiller understands how important Fiala is to his team and when the Kings are really struggling for offense, how Fiala can be one of the few guys who can drag the group forward almost singlehandedly at times. Not many guys are at that level, but Fiala’s got it in his game.

Reflecting on the game, Fiala spoke candidly about the way he approached it last night.

He said he had been doing a lot of self reflection about his game and about how he wanted to approach the matchup with Pittsburgh to begin the trip.

Freely, without a ton of thought, was his first answer.

“I came into the game and [said] just do it,” Fiala said. “Just have fun, try to feel the puck again, make plays, don't overthink, sometimes slow the game down. It worked [yesterday] so it was great."

He also thought back to ways he had been successful in the past and how he approached games in which he played well.

He seemed to come to the conclusion that he was at his best when he didn’t overthink things. When he just focused on playing. When he sometimes slowed things down as opposed to just using his raw speed. When he embraced some of his more creative ideas. Felt like we saw all of that yesterday in Pittsburgh.

“I’ve just been thinking to myself a lot lately, sometimes you have creative ideas, what can you do better,” Fiala said. “Looking in the past, what has been working and all of that kind of stuff.”

In seeing the way Fiala played, his teammates certainly took notice.

From all the way at the other end of the ice, goaltender Darcy Kuemper saw the spark that Fiala brought to his team. When Fiala was in Minnesota and Kuemper was in Arizona, the two played on opposing teams in the same division. Fiala has scored eight goals on Kuemper during his career, tied for the most he’s scored against any goaltender, per Hockey Reference. Kuemper said, with a laugh, he's happy not to be on the other end of those moves anymore.

“He's got extreme skill, he's one of the most talented guys in the league,” Kuemper said. “I'm glad he's on our side and I only have to face him in practice.”

The goal also carried some career significance for Fiala, as he collected the 500th point of his NHL career.

In doing so, he became just the second player born in Switzerland to collect 500 points in the league, joining Nashville defenseman Roman Josi.

Fiala isn’t typically one to speak a ton about individual accomplishments, but you could tell that 500 was something that meant something to him.

“It means a lot, I mean 500 points, it’s a long way, I never would’ve believed that if you would’ve told me that when I was 10 years old,” he said. “I’m very proud of that and I have lots more to give.”

Certainly hope he has more to give and the Kings certainly need it.

Fiala's line last season was the most productive on the Kings, with Quinton Byfield playing through the middle and Alex Laferriereon the right. Though all three players have been fairly productive playing apart, or in specialty situations, they had yet to combine for a 5-on-5 goal together this season in nearly 70 minutes of icetime coming into yesterday’s game.

Fiala’s game-winning goal finally snapped that trend, with Laferriere collecting the secondary assist and all three forwards on the ice for the goal. A long-awaited moment, which came to fruition with Fiala’s ability on the puck leading the way. A sign, hopefully, of more to come.

Last night’s win was a bit of a relief for the group and a step in the right direction, but aaiting the Kings are four consecutive teams from last season’s Eastern Conference playoff field, all coming on the road. Trips to Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Washington are on the horizon and the Kings will need to continue to generate more offensively than they have for long stretches of this season.

Having Kevin Fiala firing on all cylinders, as he was in Pittsburgh, is one of the most important factors in the team scoring goals in those games.