Empty-Net Lab · Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings Goalie Pull Tracker
When the Kings pull the goalie down one and down two, how that compares with the rest of the league and with past coaches, what happens while the net is empty at both ends, and who is on the ice for it.
When the Kings pull the goalie, 2025-26
Share of late deficits with the goalie pulled, by time left in the 3rd period
When the Kings pull the goalie, 2025-26. LAK down 1: half pulled by 2:00 remaining, 54% pulled with 2:00 left (35 trailing spells); LAK down 2: half pulled by 3:18 remaining, 67% pulled with 2:00 left (22 trailing spells); NHL down 1: half pulled by 2:00 remaining, 51% pulled with 2:00 left (831 trailing spells).
Kings goalie pulls by coach
| Coach | Seasons | Median pull, down 1 | Pulled by 2:00 | Median pull, down 2 | Tied it, down 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Laviolette(small sample) | 2026-27 | – (0) | – | – (1) | 0 / 0 |
| D.J. Smith(small sample) | 2025-26 | 2:08 (9) | 50% | 3:18 (4) | 0 / 4 |
| Jim Hiller | 2023-24 to 2025-26 | 2:10 (56) | 68% | 2:53 (42) | 7 / 33 |
| Todd McLellan | 2019-20 to 2023-24 | 1:51 (99) | 42% | 3:03 (82) | 10 / 69 |
| John Stevens | 2017-18 to 2018-19 | 1:25 (32) | 4% | 2:39 (24) | 4 / 25 |
| Willie Desjardins | 2018-19 | 1:30 (26) | 8% | 2:21 (20) | 1 / 15 |
Regular season since 2017-18, every club of the franchise. In brackets: late deficits behind the median; coaches with fewer than 10 are a small sample.
Kings season by season
| Season | Median pull, down 1 | Median pull, down 2 | 6v5 time | GF pulled | ENG against | ENG for | GA vs extra attacker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | – (1) | – (2) | 0:00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | 2:00 (35) | 3:18 (22) | 37:53 | 6 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| 2024-25 | 2:14 (21) | 2:53 (14) | 35:12 | 2 | 12 | 23 | 7 |
| 2023-24 | 2:10 (19) | 3:13 (21) | 46:12 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 1:47 (20) | 2:56 (17) | 28:22 | 2 | 7 | 18 | 7 |
| 2021-22 | 1:52 (20) | 3:48 (10) | 27:51 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 3 |
| 2020-21 | 1:35 (18) | 3:03 (18) | 30:15 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | 1:55 (31) | 3:05 (26) | 37:45 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 6 |
| 2018-19 | 1:31 (29) | 2:29 (23) | 41:15 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 4 |
| 2017-18 | 1:25 (29) | 2:12 (21) | 31:27 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 4 |
Who is on the ice for the Kings, 2025-26
Extra attacker (6-on-5)
- Adrian Kempe34:50 · 92%
- Anze Kopitar29:37 · 84%
- Quinton Byfield26:20 · 75%
- Kevin Fiala24:03 · 89%
- Corey Perry21:05 · 85%
- Drew Doughty17:30 · 56%
- Andrei Kuzmenko16:50 · 60%
- Brandt Clarke15:01 · 40%
Empty-net defense
- Joel Edmundson27:36 · 53%
- Mikey Anderson26:13 · 50%
- Drew Doughty26:03 · 57%
- Adrian Kempe23:48 · 46%
- Alex Laferriere22:02 · 42%
- Anze Kopitar21:55 · 47%
- Cody Ceci21:42 · 41%
- Quinton Byfield17:55 · 41%
Empty-net goals
- Adrian Kempe2 G, 1 A
- Joel Armia2 G, 0 A
- Alex Laferriere1 G, 3 A
- Drew Doughty1 G, 1 A
- Quinton Byfield1 G, 1 A
- Corey Perry1 G, 0 A
- Trevor Moore1 G, 0 A
- Warren Foegele1 G, 0 A
% = share of the team's time in that situation in the games the player dressed. Empty-net defense time is where empty-net goals come from.
Recent Kings goalie pulls
| Date | Opponent | Down | Pulled with | Time pulled | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16 | CGY | 1 | 2:08 | 1:25 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 28 | UTA | 3+ | 6:33 | 0:26 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 21 | BUF | 2 | 3:18 | 0:53 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 14 | NJD | 1 | 2:22 | 2:14 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 7 | MTL | 1 | 1:23 | 1:23 | No goal |
| Mar 2 | COL | 1 | 1:44 | 1:24 | Empty-net goal against |
| Feb 25 | VGK | 2 | 3:43 | 2:37 | Scored |
| Feb 25 | VGK | 1 | 1:01 | 0:33 | Empty-net goal against |
| Jan 29 | BUF | 2 | 1:06 | 0:06 | Empty-net goal against |
| Jan 14 | VGK | 1 | 1:40 | 0:13 | Scored |
| Jan 12 | DAL | 1 | 1:41 | 1:23 | Empty-net goal against |
| Jan 1 | TBL | 1 | 0:59 | 0:14 | Empty-net goal against |
FAQ
When do the Kings pull their goalie?
In 2025-26 under D.J. Smith, the Los Angeles Kings had pulled their goalie in half of their late one-goal deficits with 2:00 left in the 3rd period, and in 54% with 2:00 or more left (35 games trailing by one in the last 10 minutes).
How many empty-net goals have the Kings allowed?
With their goalie pulled in 2025-26, the Los Angeles Kings scored 6 and allowed 14 empty-net goals in 37:53 of 6-on-5 time. Defending an empty net, they scored 10 empty-net goals and allowed 8 goals to the extra attacker.
How is goalie pull time measured?
From the NHL shift charts: the first moment in a deficit when the team had no goalie on the ice, excluding delayed penalties. The curve counts every late deficit, including ones erased before a pull, so it is not biased toward long deficits.