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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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

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.

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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.

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.

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.

Notes on the game:
– Davis Drewiske needs to make sure that puck stays in the zone, or on his stick for that matter. When you’re the last guy in, all intentions to keep the puck inside the zone must be upheld. Tough break here, as B.J. Crombeen was able to beat Jonathan Quick on a 2 on 1.
– The Kings power-play, especially in the 1st period, failed tonight. With almost six minutes of time on the man-advantage, and fourteen overall, you need to take advantage. Good teams do this, the Kings have showed they can, but not tonight. Some kinks need to be worked out during these final 9 games.
– Speaking of special teams, good job by Dustin Brown to jump on a Barrett Jackman turnover, and release a quick shot from in-close to beat St. Louis goaltender Chris Mason.
– Two of St. Louis’ goals came off of rebounds in front of Jonathan Quick. Were both necessarily to fault on Kings defensemen? Not completely, but better coverage in front of the crease is needed when shots are put on net.
– With the Calgary Flames losing to the New York Islanders tonight, the Kings magic number is now 10.

The Kings entered tonight with 8 consecutive losses to Calgary in Alberta. As many of you know, Canada named their official roster for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver this morning. What made me somewhat optimistic for a victory tonight? The last time Los Angeles pulled off a victory in the Saddledome was December 21st, 2005; the day Canada named their official roster for the 2006 Olympics. Let’s put that aside, just a fun fact, if you want to call it that.
This was the final time these two teams met in the regular season with Calgary taking the 4 game affair as Los Angeles could only earn a victory in one of the four contests. However, I’ve had a feeling for a while now these two clubs will be seeing each other again this season. More on that later..

Thoughts on the game:

What I Liked:

* Playoff Atmosphere: Immediately after Phaneuf’s hit on Kopitar, you could feel the electricity from the building through the broadcast. (Yes, even if you were struggling through an internet stream as I did. C’mon now FSW!!) The intensity was heightened above any level we’ve seen this year in a Kings game.
* Murray’s Intensity: I love the guy. All year we’ve seen him send the message to his players that it’s his way or you’re taking a seat. We’ve seen Fro and Randy as prime examples. From what I’ve seen, he’s not too fond of stupid retaliation, but knows there is a time and a place to stick up for your players. As Brent Sutter threw a tantrum after Phaneuf’s game misconduct, Murray let him hear about it. I felt this was similar to an MLB manager arguing until ejection, ultimately firing up the ballclub. Unfortunately, the Kings reacted with less passion than I had originally expected.
* Brad Richardson: Good performance all around. If you can back-track to the play when Dusty was awarded a penalty shot (god knows why) take a look at the hustle Richy utilized to clear that puck out of the zone. Beautiful. They guy backs it up with pure effort and intensity.
* Knee-jerk line to start the 2nd frame. Simmonds – Moller – Parse. Great hustle all around for that goal.
* Scotty Parse: GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU SHOOT THE PUCK. Second consecutive game Scotty wastes no time playing with the biscuit and buries it for a goal. Atta Boy!
* Parse – Simmonds – Richy: Liked the line in general. However, why did Moller get the call to start the 2nd with Scotty and Brad?
* Brandon Segal makes return: Boy, the adrenaline must’ve been pumping for Segal tonight. He made his first return to the arena that hosted him for four years as a member of the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. Solid performance as well, great scoring chance.
* Smyth’s effort: The results haven’t been there since his return, but the effort has. Note the continuous foot movement and puck control in the offensive zone to draw a 2nd period hooking penalty on Robyn Regehr.

What made me swear:

* Teddy Purcell: Move your feet, terrible tripping penalty at the end of the 2nd.
* Lack of Poise: C’mon Drew, Calgary’s announcers associated your play with “great poise” multiple times tonight. Sorry, but throwing a punch in mid-play doesn’t show that.
* Stupid Retaliation: Haven’t I mentioned this already?
* Erik Ersberg: I take it back, unfair to judge this play. Disagree, as I feel many of you will. Give him a home start! Please! To have a confident backup goalie, you must present him with the opportunity to build it, Terry.
* Nystrom: Am I crazy? Was he not pulling on the back of Ersy’s Jersey/Pants during Calgary’s 2nd goal?
* Lack of puck possession in the final 3 minutes: Enough Said.

Final Thoughts:

For the past few months, I’ve had a weird feeling about these two clubs meeting in the 1st round of the playoffs. Both teams are playoff bound, but are both capable of ending up in the top, middle, or bottom of the 8 seeds in the Western. We’ll see, just a feeling. Off to Minny.

They play tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, tomorrow veresus the Edmonton Oilers, and the Calgary Flames are up on Thursday. Any evening of games could surely alter the standings, and these next three will definitely be a big test for the Kings in all aspects of their physical and mental play since they will not face another team until after Christmas on Saturday, December 26th against the Phoenix Coyotes.

The big question for this week is, how will the Kings hold up with Ryan Smyth still out of the line up along with Wayne Simmonds?

Stream of consciousness to follow: Did anyone else notice that Justin Williams had a ridiculously fantastic game? He was definitely the standout for me registering the primary assist for Jarret Stoll’s GWG in the second period. Stoll has also been strong on every shift; he played 19:25 last night and I think he has deserved every minute. Speaking of more minutes, Brad Richardson has been rewarded with more and more time and has been effective on all shifts as well. His hop has been pleasantly surprising along with Scott Parse‘s continued production. It’s fantastic that these guys are utilizing their short amount of minutes, and I’ve been very pleased all around with everyone’s play.

(LAKings.com)
There’s obviously the elephant still in the room with Anze Kopitar‘s lack of scoring. It has been quite a while (I’ll admit), but I personally am not panicking. I’m sure everything will smooth itself out in the near future (a.k.a when Ryan Smyth gets back in the lineup).

Oscar Moller was called up for this game, and it’s looking like he will stay for awhile. Awesome for him and for the fans. Once again, no complaints here.

Final thought on the game: Raitis Ivanans actually dropped the gloves and scraped it out with Brian McGrattan. Finally! Ivanans is doing what he’s supposed to be doing.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I’ve been a little behind on the updates, but the best one of month is that the 2010 NHL Entry Draft will be held in Los Angeles!!! I’m incredibly excited for the entire event and will be counting down the days the closer it gets. Click here for the logo, which I think is sharp.

Drew Doughty‘s birthday has come and gone. He is now a ripe 20-year old. Crazy.

Don’t forget I’m on Twitter! Follow if you’d like.

Overall there’s not too much to say about this game since there wasn’t any improvement in any aspect really. Frolov was put back on the first line and absolutely nothing changed. Surprised? I think not. Ryan Smyth is probably gnashing out his teeth with every game he’s sitting out. With Justin Williams still playing solidly and Anze Kopitar‘s play at a standstill, no one here is questioning the x-factor. C’mon Captain Canada!

(LAKings.com)

I’m sure that was nice.