But for one ill-advised pass in the defensive zone, the Kings would be celebrating a huge, huge victory right now. Denis Gauthier made a play that he will regret for a long time, and the Kings earned a solid point but lost a chance for a lot more, from a confidence standpoint.

Other thoughts…

— Gauthier’s mistake cost the Kings late, but don’t forget Raitis Ivanans’ awful hook that gave Detroit a 5-on-3 power play and led to the goal that tied the game 2-2.

— How good were Drew Doughty and Kyle Quincey tonight? Quincey probably played his best game as a King, and he’s been pretty good to begin with. Doughty made a couple outstanding defensive plays to prevent scoring chances.

— The Kings were outshot 37-19, almost doubled up. That’s Detroit hockey, and it broke a three-game stretch in which the Kings outshot their opponents.

— Dustin Brown recorded six hits.

— Patrick O’Sullivan played more than 18 minutes but didn’t record a shot on goal.

More quotes and notes to come…