The Kings managed only two shots on goal in the third period of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Thursday night at Staples Center. It underscored their scoring woes during a postseason in which they have averaged exactly two goals per game, the lowest of any of the final four teams remaining in the playoffs. The absence of injured center Mike Richards for the last three games has something to do with their troubles. But there’s more to it than that, according to team captain Dustin Brown.

“We’ve got to find a way to get more pucks to the net,” Brown said after the Kings’ 3-2 loss pushed them to the brink of elimination. “They played their game well, especially in the third. They limited opportunities and pushed it to the outside. We have to find a way to get into the inside. We have to get our shots by the first guy, and they had a lot of blocked shots tonight. We’ve got to get it by at least the first guy because they have layers.”