The Los Angeles Kings have clinched a playoff spot for the third year in a row! In this episode we talk about the games against the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks. We also discuss predictions we missed and other hockey talk.
The Los Angeles Kings are in an all-out playoff war and it’s not getting any easier. In this episode we talk about the games against the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. We also give our thoughts on why the Kings will and will not make the playoffs as well as offer up a new giveaway on YouTube.
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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.
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The LA Kings continue their see-saw of wins, losses and shootouts. In this episode we talk about the games against the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche and the Ottawa Senators. We also give our list of things that are more fun to watch than a Kings game and drop our opinion of TIm Thomas snubbing Barack Obama at the White House Stanley Cup ceremony.
You want LA Kings hockey? You’ve got it right here! In this show we talk about the games against the Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks. We also give a SEE YA to Ethan Moreau, talk t-shirts and more!
Throughout the remainder of the NHL season, ‘Dancing in the Reign’ will be recapping each week in the Pacific Division and Western Conference. Track the Kings’ push for a second consecutive playoff berth, see which teams are hot and who’s not, and note on key divisional and conference match-ups. This edition of Sunday Night Scoreboard Watch recaps the week of March 14 with a look ahead to the week of March 21.
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The Week That Was: Tuesday night’s 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators made history for the franchise. This was the final game of the Kings’ four game road-trip, which was traveled perfectly with a 4-0-0 record. This is the first time in franchise history that a Kings team has been perfect on a four-date road slate. This would be the high point of the week, as the Kings returned to Southern California to grace the torture chamber that has been Staples Center. The Kings have won just seven contests in their home confines since December 26th, and those struggles ensued this past week. Thursday night queued the start to five consecutive dates at Staples Center in horrific fashion. The 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues was simply inexcusable, all aspects of the Kings’ play failed miserably. Don’t want to harp on Tuesday’s monstrosity any further than that. As for the week’s finale, the Kings stumbled at home yet again. The Anaheim Ducks, who refuse to drift out of contention, left Los Angeles with a 2-1 overtime victory. Jonathan Quick saved the game, Ray Emery took it away. The week resulted in a 1-1-1 record for the Kings, picking up three of six points on the board.
Pacific Division Standings
TEAM GP W L OT PTS
San Jose 73 42 23 8 92
Phoenix 74 39 24 11 89
LOS ANGELES 72 40 26 6 86
Anaheim 72 40 27 5 85
Dallas 72 38 25 9 85
Pacific Division Notes: We’ve got two hot teams in the division, both the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks reeled off perfect weeks, both clubs riding three game win-streaks. With that, the Sharks maintain their stance atop the Pacific Division, and the Ducks find themselves back in playoff positioning. The division continues to dominate the Western Conference‘s top eight, with the Dallas Stars as the only club excluded. Dallas is far from out, however. They’re standing pat with Anaheim’s 85 point-total, which is the current line that marks the edge of the Western Conference‘s cliff. Although the standings in the Pacific Division look quite intriguing, they’ve become quite irrelevant in the postseason race. The bigger, more important picture falls under the stat-line in the NHL‘s western regions.
Western Conference Standings
TEAM GP W L OT PTS
3. San Jose 73 42 23 8 92
4. Phoenix 74 39 24 11 89
5. Chicago 72 39 25 8 86
6. LOS ANGELES 72 40 26 6 86
7. Nashville 73 38 25 10 86
8. Anaheim 72 40 27 5 85
9. Dallas 72 38 25 9 85
10. Calgary 74 37 27 10 84
Western Conference Notes: The Kings, even after a sub-par week, continue to maintain a position in the Western Conference‘s playoff picture. There’s no time to etch this into your comfort zone, as they’re only two points ahead of the 10th-seed Calgary Flames. To add to the stress, both clubs trailing the Kings in the standings are surging. The Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks are doing some heavy tailgating, both teams coming off of perfect a week with three consecutive victories. Slowly but surely, separation in the conference continues to evolve. Looking past the Calgary Flames, playoff contention is a long-shot for the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets. Although yet to be mathematically eliminated, both clubs must finish the regular season with near-perfect records to make a case for the Western Conference‘s top eight.
The Week Ahead
- March 21 Through March 28 -
Monday: VS Calgary Flames
Staples Center, 7:30 PM PST
Thursday: VS San Jose Sharks
Staples Center, 7:30 PM PST
Saturday: VS Colorado Avalanche
Staples Center, 1:00 PM PST
The Week’s Outlook: This week has three contests on the slate, with the storyline being home-ice. The Kings will finish their five-game homestand at Staples Center, a building in which this team has struggled mightily as of late. At this point, wins are needed regardless of location, unfortunately Los Angeles has been a difficult venue. The week’s schedule commences tonight against the Calgary Flames, who fell victim to Corey Perry and the Anaheim Ducks last night in similar fashion as the Kings did on Saturday. The Flames are 1-3-1 in their previous five games, they’re sitting in the Western Conference‘s 10th slot, just two points behind the Kings. Thursday night will be the San Jose Sharks‘ final trip to Los Angeles, and is the fifth of six meetings between the two clubs this season. They’re holding steady atop the Pacific Division and continue to soldifiy their 3rd-place spot in the Western Conference. San Jose enters the week on a roll with three consecutive victories. The week’s final date welcomes the Colorado Avalanche, one of the few teams out of playoff contention. For the Kings, winning games against sullen teams is just as important as the contenders. They failed to execute on the hopeless St. Louis Blues last week, the Kings cannot afford another loss to a team out of contention. Wins are a must at all costs, and rekindling success at Staples Center plays a crucial role.
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*Photo Credits:
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Home Primary: Michael Zampelli
Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks – Home Alternate: Associated Press
Colin Wilson and Blake Geoffrion, Nashville Predators – Away Primary: Getty Images/Rick Stewart
Ryan Smyth and Rob Scuderi, Los Angeles Kings – Home Primary: Michael Zampelli
Throughout the remainder of the NHL season, ‘Dancing in the Reign’ will be recapping each week in the Pacific Division and Western Conference. Track the Kings’ push for a second consecutive playoff berth, see which teams are hot and who’s not, and note on key divisional and conference match-ups. This edition of Sunday Night Scoreboard Watch recaps the week of January 31 with a look ahead to the week of February 7.
The Week That Was: The Kings resumed play with a donut in Minnesota, but managed to snag five out of the six points on the board this week. Extra points were surrendered to Western Conference counterparts Minnesota and Calgary with shootout implications in each contest. After Niklas Backstrom blanked the Kings in 65 minutes of play and three rounds of a shootout, the Kings responded with six goals in their next two games, three of those goals coming on the powerplay. The offense has seemed to embrace a heavy-shooting approach since the drought in Minnesota. Jonathan Quick has two consecutive wins, and Jonathan Bernier is riding a shutout. Justin Williams was a factor in Calgary, and it’s been too long. Williams’ tallied three points in the game, equaling his total in his previous eight games. Dustin Brown decided to take part in Saturday night’s scoresheet as well, with a goal and an assist. Brown recorded his first goal since December 8th, and his two points in the game eclipsed his total in his previous eight games.
Pacific Division Standings
TEAM GP W L OT PTS
Dallas 53 30 18 5 65
San Jose 53 28 19 6 62
Anaheim 54 29 21 4 62
Phoenix 54 26 19 9 61
Los Angeles 53 29 22 2 60
Pacific Division Notes: The San Jose Sharks were the story of the week, jumping from 4th place to 2nd in the division. San Jose knocked off Pacific Divison clubs in the Anaheim Ducks and Phoenix Coyotes to return from the break. The Sharks finished the week in Boston with a shutout victory over the Bruins, giving them a 2-0 start to their season-long seven game road trip. Just as notable, the top spot in the division remained idle, as the Dallas Stars failed to add to their 65 points with three consecutive regulation losses. Anaheim and Phoenix fell one spot in the division standings respectively. The Coyotes finished the week with a 1-2-0 record, and the Ducks split their two games going 1-1-0. What seemed far-fetched just a week ago suddenly becomes a realistic goal, a Pacific Division championship. The Kings, although still sitting in the basement, are only five points out of first place.
Western Conference Standings
TEAM GP W L OT PTS
4. Nashville 53 28 18 7 63
5. San Jose 53 28 19 6 62
6. Anaheim 54 29 21 4 62
7. Phoenix 54 26 19 9 61
8. Los Angeles 53 29 22 2 60
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9. Minnesota 52 27 20 5 59
10. Calgary 54 26 21 7 59
11. Chicago 52 27 21 4 58
Western Conference Notes: With the 5 points pocketed this week, the Kings find themselves back in the Western Conference‘s top eight. In a matter of three games, the Kings hopped three slots to improve from the 11th seed they held last week. This makes the Pacific Division the only grouping in the NHL to have all of it’s teams in the playoff picture. Breaking the top eight is no reason to sit satisfied, six teams are within six points of the Kings. 14 of the 15 teams in the conference are contending, the Edmonton Oilers have a furnished basement. You really can’t argue security unless you’re talking the Vancouver Canucks, who are undefeated out of the break, riding five consecutive wins and atop the Western Conference with 77 points. The Kings take a break on conference opponents this week, slated for contests with three teams that make up the Eastern Conference‘s top five.
The Week Ahead: The franchise-record 10 game road-swing continues with three games scheduled for the week. And boy, does it look difficult. The Kings visit Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin for their only meetings with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals this season. Pittsburgh holds the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference, and Washington is in the shadows in 5th place. For the Penguins, they’ll be without Evgeni Malkin, who is out for the season with two torn ligaments in his right knee. Crosby has yet to return from his concussion syndromes, his status for Thursday night is unclear. Pittsburgh is 8-2-0 in their previous ten games. As for Washington, they’re slowly recovering from January with two consecutive victories and a 5-2-3 record in their previous ten games. Defenseman Mike Green, who took a puck to the head off of a Brooks Orpik shot earlier today, isn’t expected to miss any time. The Kings will cap off the week while finishing their back-to-back weekend matinee series in Philadelphia. The Flyers are atop the Eastern Conference with 75 points, and hold an 8-2-0 record in their last 10 games. The Philadelphia Flyers are 1-0-0 against the Kings this season with a 7-4 victory on December 30th in Los Angeles.
Throughout the remainder of the NHL season, ‘Dancing in the Reign’ will be recapping each week in the Pacific Division and Western Conference. Track the Kings’ push for a second consecutive playoff berth, see which teams are hot and who’s not, and note on key divisional and conference match-ups. Our first edition of Sunday Night Scoreboard Watch recaps the week of January 24 with a look ahead to the week of January 31.
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The Week That Was: Like the rest of the league, the Kings’ had a short week of work due to this weekend’s NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, NC. Only two games were on the slate this past week, an Eastern Conference opponent in the Boston Bruins and a Pacific Division rival in the San Jose Sharks. With victories against both opponents, the Kings entered the break on a three game win streak. The Kings now have 55 points through 50 games, here’s where they stand in the Western Conference and Pacific Division:
Pacific Division Standings
TEAM GP W L OT PTS
Dallas 50 30 15 5 65
Anaheim 52 28 20 4 60
Phoenix 51 25 17 9 59
San Jose 50 25 19 6 56
Los Angeles 50 27 22 1 55
Pacific Division Notes: If you’re looking for a surprising division, look no further. Out of this group, there were two highly touted favorites to win the division; the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings. Hasn’t really worked out. The Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars have shocked the league, and they continue to win; Anaheim and Dallas have 7 wins in their last 10 games respectively. As of now, the Kings’ attention must be centered on a top 8 seeding in the Western Conference. A division championship seems far-fetched at this point, and quite frankly shouldn’t even be stressed.
Western Conference Standings
TEAM GP W L OT PTS
5. Anaheim 52 28 20 4 60
6. Phoenix 51 25 17 9 59
7. Chicago 50 26 20 4 56
8. San Jose 50 25 19 6 56
9. Colorado 50 25 19 6 56
10. Minnesota 49 25 19 5 55
11. Los Angeles 50 27 22 1 55
12. Calgary 51 24 21 6 54
Western Conference Notes: This is as tight of a conference you’ll see at this point of the season. There are six teams within five points of the final playoff position, only the Edmonton Oilers can truly count themselves out at this point, sitting in the basement with a lowly 38 points. With 55 points, the Kings sit at 11th place, but only one point from breaking the top eight. Talk about Pacific Division dominance this season, the Kings are the only team in the group out of the top eight.
The Week Ahead: The schedule out of the All-Star break certainly doesn’t favor the Kings. A season-long 10 game road swing begins tomorrow night, with three games slated for this week. Looking at the upcoming three opponents, you could tag them as “should win” games. Unfortunately, “must-win” is the only manner in which these opponents can be approached. Tuesday night calls for the Minnesota Wild, who sit one spot ahead of the Kings in the conference with 55 points. The Kings are 1-0-1 against Minnesota this season. Wednesday night is slated for the Edmonton Oilers, the cellar dwellers of the West. The Kings are 2-0-0 against Edmonton this season. The week will continue, and finish in Alberta. The Kings’ will skate with the Calgary Flames Saturday night; Calgary sits one spot behind in the conference with the 12th seed with 54 points. The Kings are 1-1-0 against Calgary this season.
Alexei Ponikarovsky‘s fractured finger forced him to the injured reserve list earlier today. This called for some prospect promotion in Manchester. The player granted the upgrade? Dwight King. Certainly not a household name for most Kings fans; The 4th round selection from the 2007 NHL Entry Draft will make his NHL debut tomorrow night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. His selection was through the draft pick acquired by the trade of Craig Conroy to the Calgary Flames. If today’s practice combinations shed any light, expect King to skate with Michal Handzus and Wayne Simmonds on the third line. The 21 year-old Saskatchewan native is just in his second year of professional hockey, jumping from the ECHL to the NHL in less than a year. Building through the draft has been the Kings’ focus since Dean Lombardi was appointed as general manager in 2006, and that strategy continues to opitimize success.
King’s name didn’t catch attention of the media too frequently during training camp, often being overshadowed by the organization’s expansive prospect depth. After being drafted, King returned to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL where he capped off his 5-year tenure in the junior hockey scene with 69 and 60 point seasons. King started the 2009-2010 season with the Ontario Reign of the ECHL, and was called-up to the Manchester Monarchs after 20 games. The stats are attractive, 35 points combined with both clubs in the regular season, tacking on 2 goals and 7 assists in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
His sudden appearance has caught my attention. What makes his debut so interesting is the chance to observe a player who has climbed the ranks at such a rapid pace, while being somewhat of an afterthought just two months ago. King will instantly replace Ponikarovsky’s size; the strength and skill will be tested. He’s shown the ability to adapt to higher levels of play, and quickly. May we have a hidden gem here? You might be looking at a future 4th line winger once Ponikarovsky returns. I’m just driving the speculation bus right now. Get off. He’ll be a fun watch tomorrow night.
With tonight’s loss to the Dallas Stars, the Kings have now fallen to the 7th seed in the Western Conference. With 90 points, the Kings are one point ahead of the 8th place Colorado Avalanche and one point behind of the 6th place Detroit Red Wings. There isn’t a whole lot of pressure coming from the 9th seed Calgary Flames, as the Kings are simply fighting for playoff stature. But what came from tonight’s loss? Nothing positive. A reassurance of LA’s cold offense and their struggling defense. Goals have been hard to come by lately for the Kings, and struggles in the net have begun to show. Do I dare blame Terry Murray? Yes. He’s absolutely butchered any of Ersberg’s confidence, and has over-played Jonathan Quick. Folks, it’s starting to show, and I knew it all along. If Erik Ersberg doesn’t get the call a couple of times before the post-season, it’s going to be a short playoff-outing for the Kings. How many times do I have to say it? A backup goalie in the playoffs is a huge factor. Terry Murray has killed any chance of this being a helper to the Kings come the playoffs. Enough with this, I could go on forever, and get quite angry. Here are my notes on tonight’s game.
Notes on the game:
– Let’s start this out on a positive note. As for the Kings only goal tonight, how many times have we seen this sequence? Drew Doughty to Anze Kopitar on the sideboards, a hard wrister on net for a Michal Handzus rebound goal? Music to my ears, eye candy. Beautiful goal, an unfortunate high-point to tonight’s game.
– The Stars came out with a vengeance in the 2nd period. Dallas was able to capitalize on 3 of their 9 shots in the period, setting their tone to the game. The carousel that was the Stars power-play began to run in full-force. With three second period power-play goals, and four overall, the Stars keyed in on a struggling Kings penalty-kill.
– Former King Brandon Segal had a couple of solid scoring chances tonight.
– The Dallas Stars earned their first victory in tonight’s Pacific Division season-series finale.
– Every goal was recorded on the power-play. Tough outing for the Kings, as they only capitalized on 1 of 7 power-play opportunites, and allowed 4 goals when a man-down.
