.

Game 1 was a case of the powerplays.

Game 2 was a case of the penalty kills.

And by golly geez, both games have been a case of straight-laced domination.

Dustin Brown has been absolutely out of his mind in this series, we’re even talking a notch above his trade-deadline turnaround, which saw him pump out eight goals and 15 assists – a hefty 23 points in the final 21 games of the regular season. Thus far in the postseason, only two games in, Dustin Brown is rolling deep with three goals and an assist on his eye-catching total of 13 shots on net.

Whale Brownies

And those fools didn’t even know it hit twine.

Special results: Like mentioned above, the first two games of this series have been heavily determined by the special teams game, the Kings capitalizing in this form in both contests, but in opposite ways. Of course, you know the Kings played off of Vancouver’s barrage of penalties in Game 1 – recording two of their four goals on the man-advantage.

The Kings would score another four goals in Game 2, and they didn’t just go tally-ho on the man-advantage (Strollsy!), but on the penalty kill as well, notching two shorthanded goals – both off the stick of Dustin Brown. Both the cause of turnovers, which stems to the ferocious defense they’ve been playing in the series. They’re not even backing off with their defensive, or offensive pressure on the penalty kill, which is a golden sign.

Ryan Kesler has been getting dogged in this series, from getting nixed in his matchup with Mike Richards, to getting outright beat by Dustin Brown on an offensive zone turnover that would lead to Brown’s second goal last night.

Hustle and good flow

I truly began to realize that Jonathan Quick must be the focus of contract negotiations next season, there’s no way you let this guy explore options outside of Los Angeles. He was downright stunning last night, yet again. If the Vancouver Canucks did one thing last night, they upped their intensity in the offensive zone, peppering Jonathan Quick with 48 shots. Quick stopped 46 of them, once again stunning Rogers Arena with his unbelievably balanced positioning and poise.

When you watch a shot directed at Quick, you either wait for the whistle, or look to follow the ricochet of the rebound. There are few instances in which you actually feel any tension, and that’s a gift you don’t get from watching a goaltender very often, if at all.

How bad did you want Andrei Loktionov to bury his 2nd period scoring chance? The Russian barely missed out on some playoff-debut glory, giving a bit too high of an angle to his close-range top-shelf bid. This, again, stemming from a Vancouver turnover. Do you sniff a trend here?

Loktionov should get another opportunity to connect Sunday night after his very respectable performance on Friday. Kyle Clifford and Brad Richardson are still on ‘red cross’ status, they’re tabbed to stay home for one more game at the least. Richardson, who skated today just five days after surgery, has had his Mom by his side in helping him in recovering.

I hope she’s like this lady

If home ice was nice: You hate to say it, but the Kings have shown their rough edges at Staples Center in postseason play the previous two years. In 2010 against the Vancouver Canucks, the Kings went 1-2 at the Stape, losing one in regulation, and one in OT. In 2011 against the San Jose Sharks, the Kings posted a donut on home ice, going without a win in LA with an 0-3 record – two regulation losses, one in OT.

That’s a 1-5 record at Staples Center in postseason play the past two years.

You’re learning new things as this series plays itself out, such as realizing how much pressure the Vancouver Canucks are playing under as opposed to the Kings. Amounting to pressure was a problem for this team the past two seasons, desperate to feed a fanbase that is, well, desperate. Not so much now, especially as the 8th seed, while playing the NHL‘s best. Not to mention, this is the Kings’ third consecutive playoff appearance, so the jitters have been toned down a bit.

The Kings fared better at home (22-14-5) than they did on the road (18-13-10) this seasons, albeit just barely. The big factor here is continuing to play like they did in Vancouver, and take as little consideration into playing in front of home fans as much as possible.

What’s better, a quiet Rogers Arena, or some of that Staples’ train-horn? You’ve got me.

What it comes down to is winning, regardless of the venue. And there’s only one way to accomplish that…

Squish the competition. Hey, it works for Dustin Brown

Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 152 HERE
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Yes, yes, and f*ck yes.

They entered last night’s commencement to the postseason with no easy agenda, taking to the ice in one of the most hostile environments that is the Rogers Centre, against the NHL‘s best club in the Vancouver Canucks. The league’s spectrum had them written off, and you were anxiously waiting for them to crumble into that trap, the trap they were supposed to fall into.

Instead, they won – and in utterly convincing fashion.

There’s folks looking now, and the Kings have now put themselves on the NHL‘s ‘upset’ radar, making Vancouver look nervous, confused, and undisciplined in a shocking 4-2 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

And who does the game-winning goal come from? None other than Dustin Penner, who very well could have played his best game of the year last night. Mike Richards, who not only intercepted a Vancouver clearing attempt, but controlled the turnover in a patient manner for time and space to set up the goal, did exactly what a player is supposed to do. Throw the puck on net, even if it is a said ‘pass’.

“That was just a bad pass by me. I just saw him [Jeff Carter] go to the net. It was a bad pass and a good play by him.’’ – Mike Richards via LA Kings Insider

Tell me now, what happens when you direct the puck to the net, with heavy traffic?

And it’s quieter than a library

Hit ‘n win: For how unfavorably the Kings were roughed around in the final two regular season games against the San Jose Sharks, last night’s physical performance that featured 28 hits was a complete turnaround – and one of, if not the major factor in the game’s outcome.

This took Vancouver off of their game throughout, the Kings forcing ‘dump and chase’ play by standing the blue lines, and winning the battles against the Canucks’ forecheck. Vancouver had little time and/or opportunity to set up and play into their systems, the Kings were ferocious defensively.

This ignited an extremely undisciplined side to the Vancouver Canucks.

Which, the Kings keyed on, although not as often as you wanted to see. The Canucks took a shocking eight penalties, the Kings executed with goals on two of them.

Winning ways

Jonathan Quick was absolutely brilliant last night, stopping 24 of 26 shots. A shutout was closer than you think. Vancouver’s first goal could have been, and very arguably so, goaltender interference – nixing the goal. But, the call didn’t go that way. Vancouver’s second tally came off of an awkward puck that ricocheted twice en rout to Quick, who had no chance in reacting to the extreme change in angle.

Mike Richards was uncanny in all assets, from his goal and two assists, to his complete and total domination in his matchup with Ryan Kesler, which could force the Canucks to make lineup adjustments for Game 2. This is why Dean Lombardi acquired Richards, and he didn’t just show it in his three points, but while delivering four hits and causing a turnover to develop the game-winning goal.

Solid play didn’t just come from the big names, but from those on the 3rd and 4th lines as well. There was one point in the game where Jordan Nolan, Kyle Clifford, and Colin Fraser controlled the puck for an entire shift in Vancouver’s zone against their first line. There were a combined 10 hits delivered from the back two lines, which shook the Canucks’ defense to the point to where those lines became offensive threats.

F*ck Alex Burrows.

Offensive contributions from the defense is something that has been proven to be a major tool for success for the Kings this season, and they continued to connect while holding the blue line. The Kings are 27-6-3 when a defenseman records a goal, they upped that stat to 28 wins last night. The defense combined for 12 shots on goal, with an assist from Drew Doughty, and a howitzer of a goal from former Canuck Willie Mitchell.

Looking ahead

The Kings must continue to maintain a heavy physical presence, they must continue to challenge Vancouver at the top of their own zone, forcing a ‘dump and chase’ game from the Canucks, allowing little setup during zone entry.

Don’t worry about Jonathan Quick, worry about having success against Roberto Luongo again. If Luongo does in fact get the loss again tomorrow night, the pressure from Vancouver’s surprising backup in Corey Schneider could potentially force the Canucks to make a change in crease when heading to Los Angeles – something playoff teams loathe doing.

The Kings have gone 1-1 on the road to start their playoff series’ the past two seasons, but have never won the opening game in doing so. Back then, Game 2 was just about keeping pace, and maintaining home ice. Now after winning the first contest, they have an opportunity to do some great damage, and head back home with a 2-0 series lead. There’s no room for comfort here, going to LA up 2-0, opposed to a stalemate at 1-1, is a night and day difference.

Continue to let Drew Doughty play a loose game, he did just fine last night in playing freely in both ends, notching an assist with six shots on goal. Not to mention, he’s been recovering to smart positioning after offensive zone rushes better than I’ve ever seen him do. Since Darryl Sutter‘s arrival, Doughty has exemplified himself as a player who performs better with fewer defensive boundaries. Let the guy play.

If there was a player more deserving than Dustin Brown in tallying the empty netter last night, then please tell me who. Eight shots, four hits, and yet another strong, captain-like outing.

At least for now, time is on our side

Game 1 Recap featured in Episode 152 HERE
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The NHL 2012 Playoffs have arrived and, miraculously, the LA Kings are a part of them. While most of the media is predicting a Canucks win, our pal Gann Matsuda is saying the Kings can get it done. While we respectfully disagree, we like the optimism. Here’s Gann’s latest. Take a read!

EL SEGUNDO, CA — As they have been in each of the two previous seasons, the Los Angeles Kings are heavy underdogs in their first round playoff series, this time, against the Vancouver Canucks, starting tonight at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Canucks earned the best record in the National Hockey League, winning the President’s Trophy for the second consecutive season, while the Kings brought up the rear among Western Conference playoff teams as the eighth seed.

“We know what we’re up against,” said Kings head coach Darryl Sutter. “Say what you want, the Vancouver Canucks have won more games in the last year and a half, counting playoffs, than any team in the National Hockey League. That’s a task in itself.”

“They’re good players, and they have a good team,” said Kings center Anze Kopitar. “They won the President’s Trophy again, and we’re going to have to be ready for them.”

If having the best record in the NHL this season wasn’t enough, something else many of the pundits have pointed to is the fact that the Canucks ended the season ranked fifth in the league in goals scored, while the Kings ranked 29th in the thirty-team NHL.

Read the rest here.

If you haven’t caught up with the latest stories, by Gann, check out:

Credit Goes To Dean Lombardi, Darryl Sutter For Los Angeles Kings Coming From Behind To Make Playoffs. Read it here.

Los Angeles Kings’ Brad Richardson Is Trying To Make The Most Of His Opportunity. Read it here.

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The slipper better fit for any reasonable hope in the Kings pulling out a successful Western Conference Quarterfinals bid against the NHL’s best Vancouver Canucks.

After sealing a postseason berth Thursday evening, thanks to the Dallas Stars‘ downward spiral, the Kings did nothing to help themselves in attaining good position entering the playoffs. After failing to key in on opportunities to capture 3rd and/or 7th place in the Western Conference, the Kings fell to the edge of the playoff cliff, finding themselves at 8th at season’s end. In doing so, they forfeited a chance at home-ice in the first round, and a shot at an extremely vulnerable St. Louis Blues club.

But really, you give yourself a chance to reflect on the season that has been, and to not be grateful for a playoff bid, even as the bottom seed looking up at the Presidents’ trophy winners, you’ve got to be content.

Confident? Well, that’s another story.

- Season Series -

As is the case with inter-Conference play, the Kings met the Vancouver Canucks on four occasions during the regular season. The two clubs matched up pretty evenly in all four contests, three of the games decided by just one goal. Here’s a quick look back at the four dates between the two playoff opponents:

November 10, 2011

Vancouver Canucks (3) @ LA Kings (2)
Game Highlights

Quick Notes: Vancouver would run away early with three 1st period goals, the first two coming on the powerplay. The Kings would chip away with one in the 2nd, and another with just 1:10 remaining. Jonathan Quick stopped 29 of 32 shots, Anze Kopitar records two assists.

December 31, 2011

Vancouver Canucks (1) @ LA Kings (4)
Game Highlights

Quick Notes: Anze Kopitar would snap his 17-game goal drought, the Russians Slava Voynov and Andrei Loktionov combined for four points, and Jonathan Quick stopped 27 of 28 shots.

January 17, 2012

Vancouver Canucks (2) VS LA Kings (3) *Final/Shootout
Game Highlights

Quick Notes: The Kings would pepper Roberto Luongo with 41 shots, only to credit two regulation goals. Dustin Penner scored, there’s a storyline in itself. Justin Williams and Mike Richards would pot shootout goals to solidify two points for the Kings.

March 26, 2012

Vancouver Canucks (1) VS LA Kings (0)
Game Highlights

Quick Notes: This would be the sixth and final time during the season that the Kings lose by the score of 1-0. Roberto Luongo stood on his head, stopping all 38 Kings shots. Jonathan Quick was solid yet again, but the offense couldn’t match Manny Malhotra‘s early tally.

Keys to the series

First – Aid: The health status of Jeff Carter is going to be a major factor in how the series plays out, Carter missed the final five games of the regular season with an ankle injury. Reports, however, have signs pointing toward Carter dressing tomorrow night. If he does in fact play, it’s not sure that he’ll be 100%, you can certainly relate this to Justin Williams toughing out a shoulder injury in last season’s playoff tilt with the San Jose Sharks.

Carter’s most important characteristic is alleviating pressure off of the first line, giving the Kings two threatening lines, making Vancouver’s match-ups a bit more difficult. If Carter isn’t to play, Vancouver will target Anze Kopitar and the first line, which is a simple assignment for a team of Vancouver’s caliber. Jeff Carter just isn’t another scoring threat, but a player who can balance the Kings’ offensive threats, giving the Canucks two major lines – not just one, to implement into their defensive gameplan.

While we’re talking injuries, Brad Richardson fits the topic. Richardson is out indefinitely with an appendectomy, and Andrei Loktionov will meet the team in Vancouver tomorrow to fill his void. Richardson, who came out of nowhere to record five points in last year’s Western Conference Quarterfinals against the San Jose Sharks, is not a loss that should have much effect on the outcome of the series. However, Loktionov can prove to have an impact. How about it, Andrei?

Quick fixin’

Playing the pipes: Goaltending is going to play a huge factor in this series, and surprisingly, Jonathan Quick may have the advantage in this situation. Quick, a Vezina trophy candidate, and a favorite to take the hardware, knows very well what’s at stake. He’s used to depending on his own performance, rather than leaning on the forwards in front of him, as we’ve seen all year long. Quick will be comfortable with being behind, at a stalemate, or with a slim lead. We know this, and we know he performs under this pressure. Do you dare question Vancouver’s goaltending? I do.

Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo has been a staple in the NHL as one of the elite, if not the best goalie in the league for quite some time. However, he’s had a backup in Cory Schneider this season who threatens his playing time if the results aren’t acceptable. Schneider, who’s started 28 games and relieved in five more, holds a staggering 20-8-1 record with a .937 save percentage. This shows you that the Canucks do not have a “sure bet” in net, which can prove to be a vital weakness come postseason play.

For the Kings to score in this series is one thing, but for them to initiate a goaltending move could prove to be a major impact in the series. The Kings have two good goaltenders in Quick and Jonathan Bernier, but they know who’s going to play. The Canucks have two good goaltenders in Luongo and Schneider, but they could switch roles at any moment. This adds pressure to the shoulders of Vancouver’s netminders, who could lose their role with one sub-par game. For the Kings, playing mind games with Vancouver’s crease could be the deciding factor in having a chance in this series. Of course, that means scoring.

Early and often

Electric bill: When these two clubs met in the postseason in 2010, they combined for a whopping goal-total in the six game series, with 43 – the Kings scoring 18, the Canucks 25. Mind this, the Kings had to score 18 goals to last just six games, a straight-laced three goal average that hasn’t been too easy to meet consistently this season.

Nothing helps goal scoring better than success on the powerplay. The Kings were immaculate with their powerplay production in the last two contests against San Jose, a definite positive you can take from those two losses. In the two games they executed by scoring six goals in nine man-advantage opportunities, that’s phenomenal.

Something else worth noting, of the Kings 18 goals scored in their 2010 Western Conference Quarterfinals series with the Vancouver Canucks, 10 of those 18 tallies came on the powerplay. And in the Kings’ two victories in that series, they acted accordingly with success on five of their nine man-advantage opportunities. It was key then, and you can bet it will be just as important – if not more, this time around.

Anze Kopitar notched his first career NHL playoff goal against the Canucks on the powerplay two years back, a goal that lifted the Kings to their first postseason victory since 2002.

Let it play out as a good omen, if you will.

No series prediction here. You’ve either got to be crazy, or a ‘negative fan’ to voice one from this side. It’s going to begin to play itself out in Vancouver, BC tomorrow night at 7:30 PM. That’s the bottom line, and that’s all you can afford to focus on.

Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 151 HERE
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There’s one more round to be had, and it should be an absolute dandy.

They’re in the playoffs, and quite frankly, a Pacific Division title may not be their best fortune.

It’s the regular season finale tonight in a date at the HP Pavilion with the San Jose Sharks, a club too familiar in too many disgusting ways. Emotions from Thursday’s tilt that saw 10 regulation goals and 63 penalty minutes will certainly still be fresh in the minds of both clubs. The Kings, who fell to the Sharks Thursday night in a 6-5 shootout loss, were victims of sub-par officiating, and a few cheap, unjust moves that were just that, only looking to knock the Kings out of their zone, and claim that allotted “big brother” image Jim Fox harps on. They got away with it too, and sideshows can’t hinge your game in the postseason.

One of those sideshows happened to be Ryan Clowe, disrupting a Kings’ 3-on-2 powerplay offensive zone entry from the bench. A classless, utterly cheap move that shockingly is not heeding any punishment from the NHL.

Jarret Stoll, who didn’t just decide to finally fucking show up Thursday night, also put the mental faults they suffered in the game to the side in a professional manner:

“Four guys can call that. You’d hope one of them can see it, and they didn’t. It’s a tough play. That’s the way it goes. You’ve got to battle through things, and that was one of the things we had to battle through, and we didn’t do it.’’ – Jarret Stoll via Rich Hammond

As rigid as it may sound, Stoll’s best decision would have been to continue and play through the incident. However, how many of you can say you’d have the self control and skill to do such a thing? Well said, Strollsy.

“I knew stick came from bench, that’s why I reacted the way I did. Maybe I should’ve kept playing + kept my mouth shut.” – Jarret Stoll via Mayors Manor

Oh Strollsy, where art thou?

“So Jarret, fill us in on what you’ve been doing the past 34 games.”

“A sh*t ton of Rogaine.”

“And this.”

Playoff picture: The final day of the NHL‘s regular season is all about scenarios. The Kings’ tilt with the Sharks tonight is the absolute final contest on the league’s slate this season, game # 1,230, and the implications are monumental. With the Phoenix Coyotes‘ win over the St. Louis Blues last night, they now claim the top of the Pacific Division. Phoenix, who’s future is in question as a franchise, certainly has a lot of say today.

- – -

If Phoenix earns 2 points @ Minnesota: The Coyotes win the Pacific Division. The winner of Kings-Sharks seeds 7th in the West, loser seeds 8.

If Phoenix earns 1 point @ Minnesota: The Kings win the Pacific Division if they beat San Jose in regulation or overtime. They would finish 7th in West if they beat San Jose in a shootout, and 8th if they lose outright.

If Phoenix earns 0 points @ Minnesota: The winner of the Kings-Sharks tilt would win the Pacific Division (3rd in West), loser would finish at 8th in West.

- – -

Why the 7th seed may be the best fit: Because, the St. Louis Blues have first-round playoff exit written all over them, and they are unquestionably the best match up the Kings, Sharks, or Coyotes could ask for. A fight for the 7th seed does not exist, as it shouldn’t. But, if that placement is given at the end of tonight, you’ve got to feel pretty damn optimistic.

If the Kings finish 8th in the Western Conference, they play the Vancouver Canucks. Not exactly ideal. If the Kings are to finish 3rd, they’d match up with the Chicago Blackhawks. Even though the Kings are 3-1 against Chicago this season, you’re still dealing with a club that beholds a plethora of weapons that are a threat at any time. If the Kings find themselves in 7th, it’s a first round date with the Blues – and they’re extremely vulnerable right now.

The Blues, who haven’t won a postseason game since 2004 (against the Sharks, ironically), are tumbling hard with four straight losses in what has been their best season since ’99-’00. This would put the Kings on the road against a team that is dealing with an overwhelming degree of home-ice pressure; an overdue playoff-hungry home fanbase can be more difficult to play under than those in an opposing building.

For some odd reason, I’m liking a 1st Round date with the St. Louis Blues more so than a Pacific Division title. Also, take into effect the Kings have fared a bit better on the road than at Staples Center during the postseason the past couple of years.

We’re totally f*cked and in over our heads!! Meet me at Applebee’s!

There are a few key things the Kings must bring out of tonight’s game, even if it isn’t a couple of points.

- You’d like to see Jonathan Quick head into the postseason with a better performance than he had on Thursday, in which he allowed five goals on 31 shots.

- The Kings are 27-6-3 in games when a defenseman records a goal. Alec Martinez continued his hot path with another tally on Thursday, spreading out the offensive output must continue.

- Don’t get pushed around. The Kings, although matching San Jose on the scoreboard for the most part on Thursday, got taken advantage of in the physicality department. If the Sharks can find advantage in using their bodies, you’re providing them with an extremely useful asset their roster is used to keying on.

There’s no love lost

In game #82

 

Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 150 HERE
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Considering the outlook just four days ago, consider things good.

We last touched on the Kings before Wednesday’s affair in Calgary, tabbing them to need at least eight of the possible 12 points available in their final six contests. Well, after a grueling three puck-drops in four nights, the Kings have been able to credit five of six possible points to their name. At the moment, this leads them to third in the Western Conference, as they’ve taken the throne of the Pacific Division.

The offense has restructured itself in the past three games, even with the loss of Jeff Carter – dark horse Brad Richardson filling in quite well with two goals tonight in Minnesota. The Kings have scored 10 goals in the past three games, but have still continued to struggle on the powerplay. Coming into tonight, they had executed on just two of their previous 30 man-advantage opportunities. They cut themselves a bit of slack in Minnesota, Dustin Brown potting a loose rebound from a Mike Richards powerplay shot.

Some may argue the Kings would have come away with two points tonight had Jonathan Quick been in net, especially considering his shootout resume over Bernier’s. With tonight being the second of back-to-back games, Darryl Sutter fit in some time for Jonathan Bernier in the most plausible opportunity possible before the regular season’s end. Quick, who will most likely start the final three games of the campaign, was due for rest, and Bernier was due for live-play.

And as for those final three games:

Monday VS Edmonton Oilers
Thursday VS San Jose Sharks
Saturday @ San Jose Sharks

It’s a rematch with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, who the Kings saw Friday night, handling them quite easily in a 4-1 victory. The Oilers, however, are a scary opponent right now, even if they are 14th in the Western Conference, 29th in the NHL. They have absolutely nothing to play for, which alleviates pressure – something that can buckle teams in a playoff race this close.

The Kings haven’t found gleaming success against Edmonton this season, heading into their final matchup with a 1-1-1 record.

Defensive offense

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The Kings’ offensive output is something surely to be praised as of late, but much of it stems from the blue-line. Alec Martinez has been a pleasant surprise recently, chipping in with three goals in his previous eight games. It hasn’t been just Martinez, as the defense has been contributing in a balanced effect.

Seven points have come off the blades of defensemen in the past three, Willie Mitchell (1G, 1A), Drew Doughty (1G, 1A), Matt Greene (2A), and Alec Martinez (1G). Along with allowing the season-low in shots Friday night (14), the defensive department has done quite well for themselves, and for the team. Just five regulation goals have been surrendered by the Kings in the past four contests.

As for the forwards, the loss of Jeff Carter is a heavy hit to take right now, the Kings momentarily losing their key trade-deadline acquisition. To fill his role came Brad Richardson, who was all over the ice tonight, involved in both ends, taking the night’s spotlight with two goals, just his fourth and fifth of the season.

Carter will be evaluated Monday in Los Angeles for an MRI. X-Rays initially saw no damage that posed any signs of a bone break, Monday’s further examination should tell a better story. Obviously, Jeff Carter should be counted out of the Kings lineup for Monday, giving Brad Richardson a chance to build on his magnificent performance tonight in Minnesota.

Richardson came out of nowhere last April

The Kings haven’t been able to qualify for the NHL playoffs in three consecutive seasons since their run from 1999-2002, the beginning of the Staples Center era. They’re due for another trifecta.

Do they make history with three straight runs?

.Only the final three will tell.

Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 149 HERE
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The Los Angeles Kings are in a make or break mode for the rest of the season. However, there has been some nice changes with the addition of Jeff Carter (arguments can be made about it being more about the subtraction of Jack Johnson). Our pal, Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty takes a look at some of the changes in the Kings line up as well as their recent win (and scoring streak). Take a read and enjoy!

Speed, Consistency and Trust Comes From LA Kings’ Balance Throughout Lineup. Link here.

Jeff Carter Isn’t The Only Big Factor In Los Angeles Kings’ Recent Surge. Link here.

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If there was ever a point in the year when the term ‘must-win’ had to be taken into literal matters, that time is now.

The Kings, with just six games left on the season’s slate, find themselves on the outside of the postseason cut-off, intertwined with five teams battling for two spots, all separated in a margin of just three points. The Kings jumped from 8th, to 10th, to 3rd in a matter of ten minutes late last week, but a couple of games later they slip with two straight losses to find themselves back at 9th in the Western Conference.

It’s such a tight ship, that out of the Kings’ remaining six games – which sees 12 points on the board, they’ve really got to shoot for acquiring 7-10 of those points. Seven is pushing it. If you’re going to draw up a final six game schedule for a team in such a position as the Kings, well, the schedule they have couldn’t be much better:

Wednesday @ Calgary Flames – (11th in West, 1 pt behind Kings)
Friday @ Edmonton Oilers – (14th in West, 29th in NHL)
Saturday @ Minnesota Wild – (13th in West, 27th in NHL)
April 2 VS Edmonton Oilers – (They suck, beat them)
April 5 VS San Jose Sharks - (1st in Pacific, 2 pts ahead of Kings)
April 7 @ San Jose Sharks - (Could it come down to this?)

There’s a lot of positive outlook to be had here. Two games against the 29th ranked team in the league, Edmonton. A game against the 27th ranked club, Minnesota. I don’t care about any history, player matchup, or any other variable other than if you’re worthy of making the playoffs, you beat bad teams. Good teams beat bad teams, bottom line.

The remaining three, now those matchups are key. That gives the Kings a little more incentive to take things into their own hands, have a little more leverage on the situation, rather than scoreboard watch. Tomorrow night’s tilt with the Calgary Flames has monstrous implications tied to it, the Flames just one point behind the Kings in the Western Conference. For one of these clubs to leave two points astray right now would put them in serious trouble. The Kings are 1-1-1 against Calgary this season.

And the final two dates of the season almost makes it look as though the NHL planned ahead. It’s a home-and-home with the San Jose Sharks, who now have possession of the Pacific Division, leading them to 3rd in the Western Conference with 88 points, two more than the Kings. The teams have met four times this season, the Kings with the upper hand going 2-1-1.

The San Jose finale weekend is a longshot thought, considering being in contention at that point will be a huge win in itself. The opportunity is certainly there for the Kings, but it’s far from being claimed, so close to being out of reach.

Oh, and count out the Colorado Avalanche (10th – 86). They’ve played like 95 games already.

Special Needs

The Kings have shot themselves in the foot in the special teams’ department the past two games, going a combined 0-7 on powerplay opportunities, both in one-goal losses (disregard Boston’s EN goal). In fact, the struggles on the man-advantage stem back to the previous six games, the Kings winning the first four of those, but going a combined 1-20 on the powerplay.

The previous two contests spotlight the importance of executing on the man-advantage, which is something the Kings surged off of upon the acquisition of Jeff Carter. Sure, they then found balance to win without powerplay output, but it’s simply inexcusable to lose two one-goal contests, in games that could decide your season, with no results in 14 minutes of 5 on 4 hockey.

But for the love of god, if you pick apart anything now, you’re going to go crazy. Wins, points, in any possible way.

This means draft beer

On somewhat of an off-topic, it’s great that the NHL Gamecenter has respectful agreements with National Television networks. It helps to ensure solid ratings for their coverage. For me, it helps to support illegal streaming from some sketchy European website, or one of my local bars – which doesn’t benefit much from me being there.

All in all, NHL Gamecenter‘s legal tactics bring out the worst in me, many others as well I’m sure.

Nothing like some country music to play off a breakaway tally

That’s the rural boundaries of Western Canada for you, and that’s where the Kings are stationed tomorrow night – Calgary, Alberta for a pivotal tilt with a club just behind them in a postseason race that’s tighter than a pair of jeans at a skate park.

If this isn’t the playoffs already, it’s nothing. It’s got to be made out of something.

Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 148 HERE
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It’s been a little slow over here at KingsCast as life outside the Kings has been busy. However, Gann Matsuda over at Frozen Royalty continues to churn out the stories and content to keep you busy for days. So, let’s clear out our RSS readers and get caught up on the latest. As always, there’s some good stuff in here as well as quotes from the team. Enjoy, Kings fans!

Read Los Angeles Kings’ Anze Kopitar: Just Another Streak, Or…? here.

Read LA Kings Blue Liner Slava Voynov Shines Offensively, But Is Still Learning To Play In His Own End here.

Read Los Angeles Kings Defenseman Alec Martinez Quietly Getting The Job Done, Especially On Power Play here.

Read Rookie Left Wing Dwight King Has Been Quite The Surprise For Los Angeles Kings here.

Don’t forget, Gann also posts audio of the post-game interviews on his website which is always available for your listening pleasure. So head on over to Frozen Royalty and take a listen or take a read!

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Positive looks

Positive results

Holy jeeze, what’s happening?

The Kings have won four in a row, the first time they’ve done so all season.

They’ve scored 38 goals in ten games. That’s 3.8 goals per game.

To stretch things to the eleven-game mark, the Kings have recorded the first goal in nine of the aforementioned. They’ve also recorded at least three goals or more in nine of the previous eleven contests.

They’re 8-2 in their past ten games.

Yet, they’re still out of playoff positioning with just ten games remaining.

They’re one point from inching into the Western Conference playoff picture, they’re two points from taking over the Pacific Division.

The Kings currently sit at ninth-place in the Western Conference, just one spot out from the postseason cut-off. The team ahead of the Kings, the Colorado Avalanche, who hold the final playoff seed, have just one more point (83) to the Kings’ 82. A bright spot to take into consideration here, Colorado has two games in-hand on the Kings, leaving four extra points on the table for Los Angeles to work with. That’s highly favorable right now.

Stepping up

They look like a completely different team, they feel like one. Production is coming from all angles, most notably in Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and the newly acquired Jeff Carter. This team seemed to turn the tables upon the acquisition of Carter, but the two big key producers have been from two faces that have marked territory here for quite some time.

During yet another offensive outbreak against Nashville Saturday night, Dustin Brown snapped his ten-game scoring streak. In that span, Brown notched an astounding 15 points in the form of five goals and ten assists. In the past 13 games, Brown has totaled 18 points. In Brown’s first 59 games this season, he recorded 28 points, that goes to show you how monstrous his recent outbreak has been.

The other big aspect in the Kings’ resurgence has been Anze Kopitar, who has churned out points in nine of his last ten games. In those ten games, Kopitar has chipped in with 11 points. This doesn’t necessarily knock his season-long production before his recent streak, but it’s shown something Kopitar has been lacking this year and in the past – consistency. When you’ve got a hot asset in Kopitar, you’re a dangerous club.

Sippin’ on San Jose

It’s the San Jose Sharks tonight at Staples Center, and it couldn’t get much bigger. The Kings and Sharks are twined in a dead-lock tie with 82 points apiece, both clubs trailing the top of the Pacific Division, honed by the Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes (83 points respectively), by just a single point.

What makes this even more crucial, both the Kings and Sharks are one win from attaining not just a Western Conference playoff berth, but the possibility of taking the top spot in the Pacific Division – which earns a straight shot to the Conference’s third-seed. This is playoff hockey already, expect the atmosphere to emulate that feel tonight.

Not to mention, these two teams see each other three more times this year, including the final two contests of the regular season. The Kings are 1-1-1 against San Jose in their first three meetings this season. All you can ask from the Kings is that they continue this turnaround, you don’t want to fuss with it now, especially since fans and myself have been calling for this since October.

Let the elite continue to ink the scoresheet…

Toss in some back-end scoring, and things should be just fine

You think Mike Richards is sweating the Western Conference playoff race?

Hell no.

Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 147 HERE
The newest KingsCastTV short production HERE
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