The Kings won a genuine coin flip — neither side controlled the run of play.
The Kings won 5–4, but the underlying numbers didn't predict a winner. Expected goals split 3.82–3.83, essentially even. Yet the Kings overperformed by 1.17 goals — they scored five on a shot profile that suggested four. That gap is the game: variance won a shootout that talent suggested should stay tied.
The Blues dominated shot volume, holding 51% of shot attempts (29–28 on goal). They created more high-danger looks (5 to 6) and were lethal off the rush, scoring 3 goals on 26 chances. Their power play was sharp: 2 goals on 7 shots, 0.96 xG. The profile of a team that should have won.
The Kings matched that efficiency differently. They scored 2 on 24 rush chances, a tighter threat. Trevor Moore's shootout snap shot from the high slot was the moment precision mattered more than volume. D. Kuemper (0.862 SV%) nudged past J. Hofer (0.857 SV%), a goaltending margin that reflects the noise of 28–29 shots more than any meaningful divergence.
Both teams crashed the net identically: 3 rebound opportunities each, 1 converted each. The Blues' 51% shot-attempt share typically wins games. It didn't here. Not because the Kings were better — the numbers won't support that — but because one shootout isn't a referendum on underlying play. The Blues outworked their opponent and left with nothing.