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It may just not work for the Kings this year. That’s not criticism, it’s what’s been happening.

A lackluster performance in Columbus on Thursday, followed by a complete and utter collapse Friday in Detroit have the Kings slowly inching out of the playoff race, and making it very difficult in having a shot at reclaiming a spot.

The Kings have fallen to 11th in the Western Conference, with 74 points to the name. With 14 games remaining on the regular season schedule, there’s still time for drastic change – good or bad, but as close as the standings are, the Kings don’t have much room to move – that’s what makes the last two losses so detrimental.

Because when it’s this close, idle movement in the standings can certainly be a good thing.

They haven’t been idle in Los Angeles, they’re moving back, and that’s a scary step to take. At 11th, the Kings can only reasonably be within reach of 7th place in the Western Conference, owned by the Phoenix Coyotes (76 pts) who don’t even have an owner themselves. There are five clubs from 7th-11th place in the Western Conference, and are all separated by a maximum of two points.

Hence Phoenix (7th – 76), Los Angeles (11th – 74).

So there’s some hope to be had, but that’s a tough battle to win.

 Fit for a King

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If you’re looking for a bright spot, look to Dwight King. King, in his second stint with the Kings as a call-up from the AHL‘s Manchester Monarchs, has fared quite well in his second go-around. Since his promotion, King has delivered seven points in 13 games with three goals and four assists.

He’s shown impressive puck-control low along the boards, he’s shown reliable consistency with presence in front of the net, and he enters the zone with strength and smarts – with or without the puck. As a line-mate of Mike Richards‘, King showed strong signs of promise. Since Jeff Carter replaced rookie Jordan Nolan on their line, Dwight King almost becomes a regular 2nd line asset in your mind.

Dwight King wins that game in Detroit, the Kings lose it.

Kompon can’t get the bird these days

They’ve scored 22 goals in their previous seven games, that’s well above their average – which ranks dead last (30th) in the NHL. That’s over three goals per game, crazy isn’t it? So quite frankly, the problems are stemming from areas other than the forwards these days – imagine that.

It has been seen as of recent. Having both Alec Martinez and Slava Voynov in the lineup combines to be more of a liability than Jack Johnson in the defensive zone. Jonathan Quick had the weakest game of his season Tuesday night in a 5-4 win against the Nashville Predators, and he chooses to do so when this offense scores an uncanny five goals for him. Jonathan Bernier, as always, got the call in Columbus. A very solid game from the backup, but fell victim to those in front of him.

None of these problems are snowballing, they’re just all coming together at the wrong time. Not much time to make things right.

And they release this during the week, this is unecessary and unfitting for everything this season. But even so, a video dedicated to goal celebrations deserves a look. Take it away, f*ck face Patrick O’Neal.

How about a video compilation of best reactions regarding this.

Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 146 HERE
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Finding it tricky to compile my feelings on this one. Can’t love it, can’t hate it.

The University of Michigan alum will now be playing on the outskirts of Ohio State University‘s campus.

Defenseman Jack Johnson has been traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in swap of forward Jeff Carter and a conditional first-round draft selection in either 2012 or 2013 – pending the Kings’ ability to secure a playoff berth this season.

*UPDATE: Quote from Jack Johnson on the trade via Mayors Manor:

“I’m excited by this. I’m excited to go to a team that wants me, and to play in a great sports city. I want to be part of the solution there. I know they’ve had some bad breaks and some tough seasons, but it’s going to be great when it turns around. Really, I don’t think there’s anything sweeter in sports than being part of a team when they get it turned around.”

This isn’t a big surprise to most, front offices in Los Angeles and Columbus were a good fit for each other at this year’s trade deadline. The Kings were desperate for acquiring offensive help, the Blue Jackets were eager to move a couple of top-six scoring assets in order for a heavy rebuild. The Kings had a very tradeable high-value defenseman, the Blue Jackets needed to move a proven forward that had well-known gripe for playing in Columbus.

It was aligned to happen, now it’s reality.

It’s sad. The more it settles, the more you realize how little Jack Johnson‘s performance in a Kings uniform played into tonight’s deal. Sure, his ugly plus-minus stat irritated fans, which fed many to believe he had plateaued as an NHL player, but the Kings had an above-average defenseman locked up for a lengthy tenure at an extremely low price. Plus, the guy is only 25, and held off the NHL for two years to play NCAA hockey in Ann Arbor. There was plenty of time to be had with Johnson’s development, and it’s now the kiss of death to his tenure as a King.

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Hit the road, Jack: I’ve had my fair number of frustrations with Jack Johnson this season and the last. However, it’s tough to let such promising young talent go in this fashion. It was a move to alleviate distress in the Kings’ front office, which had seen major offseason offensive acquisitions result in the Kings at rock-bottom of the NHL in scoring. On the playoff bubble, but on the outside looking in, the Kings were almost forced to act on something doable that could bring hope for a late-season resurgence.

That hope comes in Jeff Carter, who has recorded 25 points in 39 games with Columbus this season – following three extremely productive seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, notching 84, 61, and 66 points in his final three campaigns in Philly. The Kings now have a proven scoring forward, they’re dying for someone to initiate chemistry in their dreadful offense.

The Kings’ desperate plea for offensive help makes this trade a bit easier to swallow. Not to mention, the Kings are almost top-heavy in strength at defense. I’d expect Slava Voynov to get the call to fill Johnson’s void for the remainder of the year. If there’s one positive to take from tonight’s deal, it’s improving the outlook of the offense while maintaining defensive strength.

Adios, Jack.

Welcome, Mr. Carter.

The Carter: The newly-acquired forward doesn’t just have an impressive resume, but a strong connection to arguably the Kings’ most valuable player in Mike Richards. Both players spent five seasons together with the Philadelphia Flyers, and not only did they maintain possibly what was the strongest relationship on the roster for those years, but were two of the biggest, if not the biggest, offensive producers for the Flyers.

The Kings are dying for chemistry in the offensive zone, this may trigger it.

At the very least, this pumps hope into a club that has been mentally abused by failure in the offensive zone. The coach has changed, lines have been shuffled, maybe a fresh name is the answer — but don’t put all of your weight on it. This is just another direction in a season that resembles tumultuous. Hopefully, this time around, tumultuous exemplifies results rather than excitement.

Argue it if you want, sealed as a done deal.

Metro Los Angeles should know better than to release destination posters during the NHL trade-deadline. Or, maybe Johnson’s looking for directions to Columbus? This new advertisement, released just two days ago.

The Kings’ season started out in extremely positive fashion, Jack Johnson set that table with his OT goal in the season’s opener against the New York Rangers in Stockholm, Sweden.

 Of course, you can’t forget Jack Johnson‘s ‘Tebow’ celebration in January’s victory over the Washington Capitals.

At last, a back-track to better times, when Johnson was a key piece to the Kings’ youthful core.

So long, Jacko. Welcome to Los Angeles, Jeff Carter.

Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 144 HERE
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The General Manager is now in question, players are being tossed around for a deadline deal, the playoffs are in doubt — and could quickly become a long shot.

It’s been bad, it’s getting worse.

The Kings’ inconceivable lack of scoring has had an awful effect all year long, those effects have hit this roster no harder than in the past two games.

Two 1-0 losses, two consecutive shutouts on home ice, both against clubs that hopped over the Kings in the standings with those wins. That’s not going to cut it, not even close.

This team now finds themselves out of playoff positioning. Sitting in the Western Conference‘s 9th-seed slot, the Kings are in a frenzy to find a solution, to find an answer — and fast. With 65 points, the Kings are no safe bet to recover and solidify a postseason bid. They are far from alone in claiming the final playoff spot, with four clubs trailing just five points behind them, going down all the way to 13th in the Western Conference, where the Anaheim Ducks stand with 60 points.

Same result, all year long

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Dealing with Dean: The way things have continued to play out for the Kings, a deal prior to Monday’s trade-deadline may be the only solution in order to fend for a third consecutive playoff berth. Two big names that have been tossed around the grid both belong to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are reportedly open to dealing a couple of major assets.

Yes, that would be Rick Nash and Jeff Carter.

The Jackets, who are mired in their worst season in franchise history, are starting to hint at a full rebuild. This means they’ve got to get something of very high value to part-ways with either of these players. For Nash, Columbus is reportedly asking for Jonathan Bernier, Jack Johnson, Andrei Loktionov, and maybe even a bit more.

Do I like this? No. Am I worried about a desperate knee-jerk move made by Dean Lombardi? Yes.

Ask yourselves, how much thought is Lombardi genuinely putting into the Kings short-term future here, rather than just this season alone? Because, quite frankly, there’s a good chance he’s shown the door if things don’t turn around quickly, and at a very impressive rate. He’s got to act now, and that may not be as good of a thing as it sounds to be.

The last thing you want to do is give away highly talented youth, who have yet to hit their prime stride, for one man’s last-ditch effort at saving his job.

As for Jeff Carter? Well, all right. His attitude is shaky to say the least, but at least he’s got strong connections with Mike Richards. Plus, he’s quite a bit cheaper than Nash, and could fill in as a winger on any of the top-three lines. I’d definitely mull it over.

The Kings are desperate, but they can’t be desperate for a trade. They’ve got to be desperate at playing hockey. The talent is here already, I’ll say it again. If it happens to be one of those year’s in which things just don’t click, then so be it. If a deal is made at the deadline, we can only see how it pans out.

The worst time to shoot yourself in the foot is when you’re already down. For the Kings, I wouldn’t go after anything higher than a Jeff Carter. Add a couple of pieces if you can, just be sure to still value the players this team has now. A big deal, well one that’s too big, could potentially haunt this club for years.

All you can do is wait and see

Desperate in the Desert: It’s a date with the Phoenix Coyotes, yet again. This one is huge, this one is mammoth. The Kings (9th – 65 points) and Coyotes (7th – 67 points) meet just five days after their last affair, which saw the Sun Dogs take a 1-0 shutout victory at Staples Center. The Kings could find themselves as high as 7th in the Western Conference with a win, or continue to separate themselves from the playoff bubble even more. To call this the biggest game of the year wouldn’t do it justice.

At least the Kings have proven they can beat the Coyotes with just one goal. The problem they’re facing tonight, is scoring that goal.

That’s some optimism to build off of.. Right?

Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 144 HERE
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“We were real average, quite honestly.” — Darryl Sutter

Back to work: It may have been an average performance, barely topping the NHL‘s worst club in Columbus — but the fashion in which the Kings earned the two points was anything but. Before we get to the positives from last night’s contest, and how you really couldn’t ask for a bigger momentum swing to start post – All Star break play, there’s a simple explanation for Staples Center clock controversy as Drew Doughty netted the game winner with just 0.4 seconds to play. Kings GM Dean Lombardi said it best, in response to Columbus GM Scott Howson‘s premature accusations.

“Those clocks are sophisticated instruments that calculate time by measuring electrical charges called coulombs — given the rapidity and volume of electrons that move through the measuring device the calibrator must adjust at certain points which was the delay you see. The delay is just recalibrating for the clock moving too quickly during the 10—10ths of a second before the delay. This insures that the actual playing time during a period is exactly 20 minutes.”

“That is not an opinion -— that is science -— amazing device quite frankly.”

“The clock stoppage is actually common, just not always in the last seconds of a game leading to a GWG in that final second. It is the clock’s display syncing with the internal clock/computer.”

So, to get technical, it came down to coulombs in the last-second victory against Columbus.

Would Dean Lombardi be saying the same thing if this had happened against the Kings? Maybe not, probably not. But, when you’re on the losing side of a situation like that, you tend to let frustrations get in the way of clear, calm thinking. Plus, many times have I seen Staples’ clock pause in such a fashion it did last night in the final minute of a period. Drew Doughty scored that goal prior to the 20-minute mark, case closed.

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Not just Average: Kings coach Darryl Sutter was right on the money tabbing last night’s performance ‘average’, but it’s got the makings to give this club a huge boost, a great deal of momentum. If winning a game in front of a home crowd with 0.4 seconds left to play isn’t enough adrenaline to build off of leading into the season’s longest road trip, those who contributed, and in what situations, should provide some much needed optimism.

For starters, the Kings executed on two of three powerplay opportunities, which further shows the resurgence play in man-advantage situations has seen the past couple of weeks. The last time the Kings saw the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 7th, a 1-0 loss, the Kings went 0-8 on the powerplay. What a difference it can make, no?

Justin Williams, who chipped in with a powerplay goal of his own netting the first goal of last night’s contest, now has points in nine consecutive games. Williams has 35 points in his 49 appearances this season, he’s notched 11 in his current nine game scoring streak. This is huge.

Dustin Penner hounded on a turnover he caused and used his strength to find a lane straight to the net in beating a helpless Curtis Sanford for the Kings’ second tally of the night. Penner isn’t riding a point streak like Williams, but whenever you can get production from the struggling forward, you’re gladly going to take it. Plus, the guy has consistently been looking better each game.

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If you were somewhere under a rock last night, here’s a clip showing multiple replays of Drew Doughty‘s goal. If you get to the :49 second mark of this video, you’ll clearly see the clock’s stoppage at 1.8 seconds. However, there’s no reason to be afraid to see this again, as it simply was the visible clock re-syncing with the internal mechanisms. 10′ths of a second can be a bit hard to keep up with, this happens more than you think. It’s difficult to notice, as the clock had the full spotlight this time around. A good goal it is, tough break for the Blue Jackets.. yet again.

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Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 142 HERE
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The All Star break is over and it’s time for some LA Kings hockey. In this episode we (briefly) talk about the NHL All Star Game, the game tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, talk about the possibility of trading for Jeff Carter and Ryan Malone and tell you what we heard in the Premier section at Staples Center.

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Checked Bags: Reality hits hard when you’re coming down from a break. For the Kings, the weekend’s downtime during the 2012 NHL All Star Game was a beautiful thing, because life for this roster is going to get pretty hectic – and fast. With 32 games left on the season’s schedule, the Kings are tabbed to play 20 of those in visiting confines, only 12 dates left on the calendar for Staples Center affairs. The Kings will knock off one of those remaining home dates when getting started with post-break play, the return of the Columbus Blue Jackets. That should be an easy start, right?

Then it gets rough, the Kings scheduled for their longest road swing of the season, a six game slate in a span of nine days. I was initially going to say that having six consecutive games on the road isn’t horribly awful considering it’s the longest trip of the year, but it’s jam-packed, just three off-days to counter the heavy travel.

The Kings can afford to continue with their OT/SO trend during this road trip, something that has been a regular occurrence for the club this season. Of the six games the Kings play on their upcoming road trip, four are against Eastern Conference opponents. As long as they can pocket one point against these opponents, they won’t be giving one away to a Western Conference threat if they falter in extra time. But, we all know, the Kings need to start executing when the hockey’s free.

The Kings are no postseason guarantee right now, sitting idle with a 24-16-10 record accounting for 58 points, mapping them out for 95 points at season’s end. In the previous six seasons, the eighth-place team in the Western Conference has finished the year with 95 points or more four times. For the Kings to hit the 95 point mark, they would have to muster together 19-12-1 record, or one that earns them at least 37 points.

If there’s one thing to take in positive manner in the Kings’ road-heavy schedule, location hasn’t attributed to success or lack thereof, it’s well-known that goal scoring has covered that all year long. However, in the past couple of years, the Kings have consistently shown the ability to fare better away from home fans, both during a playoff stretch and the postseason. Boy, I could really go for one more Game 6 Western Conference Quarterfinals elimination at home!

Hotel reservations will be key for the Kings during the remainder of the season, I wonder if Bailey got to room with Jonathan Quick in Ottawa?

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Tune into KingsCast’s Episode 141 HERE
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The Los Angeles Kings are on the road one more time and they’re taking the Midwest by storm. In this episode, we talk about the games between the Blue Jackets, Red Wings and Stars, interview Rick Nash and update you on a little bet. How did you expect the Kings would do on this roadtrip? Saddle up and enjoy!

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 7 with a look ahead to the week of March 14.

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The Week That Was: Offensive outlets surging, goaltender turntable in smooth operation, and 4th place, and also 4th place. Could you ask for much more? The Kings bounced back from last week’s faltering finish to the homestand with three consecutive victories on the road. Overall, the Kings added seven points — in seven days, with a 3-0-1 record. The week’s slate both started and ended with the Dallas Stars. The Kings approached both meetings just one point behind Dallas, and almost surrendered extra points in both contests. A late collapse on Monday night did just that, the Stars leaving Los Angeles with two points earned in a 4-3 OT victory. Sunday afternoon flirted with deja vu, as yet another breakdown was briskly avoided at American Airlines Center. After Dallas’ Jamie Langenbrunner tied the score with just :43 remaining, Michal Handzus countered before the final horn with just :21 to play. The 3-2 victory cued the leap over the Dallas Stars in the standings. Redemption was certainly attained Wednesday night, a stellar performance from Jonathan Quick fueled a 2-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings. A huge victory for both the Kings and Quick, ridding any lingering aftertaste of Detroit’s recent visit to Southern California. Anze Kopitar single-handedly delivered the season-ending blow to the sinking Columbus Blue Jackets Friday night. Kopitar notched the second hat-trick of his career, contributing to his monster week with four goals and three assists.

Pacific Division Standings

TEAM                  GP      W     L      OT     PTS
San Jose               69      39    22     8        86
LOS ANGELES     69      39    25    5       83
Phoenix                70      36    23    11      83
Dallas                   69      37    24     8       82
Anaheim               69      37    27     5       79

Pacific Division Notes: The Kings’ seven points maintained pace in the division, and more – as they climb to second place. The San Jose Sharks continue to sit atop the group, picking up points in all three contests this week. Extra time was needed to decide all three San Jose contests, they dropped both Shootouts, and picked up their only victory in Overtime. Not one club in the Pacific Division is showing any signs of excluding themselves from the playoff race, everyone continues to win. The Phoenix Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks went 2-1-0 during the week respectively, and the Dallas Stars posted an honorable record of 2-1-1. As intriguing as it may look, the Pacific Division standings are almost irrelevant at this point. With every team in the division at-pace for playoff positioning in the Western Conference, that goal becomes the bigger picture. Never in the NHL‘s history have all members of a certain division made the playoffs. The 2010-2011 Pacific Division is certainly making a strong case to change that.

Western Conference Standings

TEAM                      GP     W     L     OT   PTS
1. Vancouver            70    45    16     9     99
2. Detroit                 69    41    20     8      90
3. San Jose               69    39    22     8      86
4. LOS ANGELES    69    39    25    5      83
5. Phoenix               69    36    23    11     83
6. Dallas                  69    37    24     8      82
7. Chicago               69    37    24     8      82
8. Calgary                69    36    26     9      81
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9. Nashville             69    35    24    10     80
10. Anaheim           69    37    27     5      79
11. Minnesota         69    35    27     7      77

Western Conference Notes: How attractive is that 4th seed? If the season ended today, the Kings would be looking at the Staples Center advantage in the opening round. Don’t ride the high-horse for too long, as only three points separate home-ice in the playoffs, from not even qualifying at all. Three points – unbelievable. So with that, enjoy it while you can, not a ton of security here. In a realistic mindset, contention isn’t plausible for teams behind the 11th-seed Minnesota Wild. Separation is slowly taking form, with the Columbus Blue Jackets as the newest representative. It’s simply coming down to late-season success. From the third place to eleventh, it’s a matter of winning games. Teams are too close to analyze it any different, the marathon has turned into a race. Consistency has been the trend in the Western Conference. Aside from the Vancouver Canucks‘ five-game win streak, and the Los Angeles Kings‘ three-game win streak, all other clubs in contention are maintaining pace in subtle form. Every point instills huge implications, and regulation victories become the all-important factor, especially for the Kings. The remaining schedule strictly calls for Western Conference opponents, and if extra points present themselves, they can’t afford to be surrendered.

The Week Ahead

- March 14 Through March 21 -
Tuesday: AT Nashville Predators
Bridgestone Arena, 5:00 PM PST
Thursday: VS St. Louis Blues
Staples Center, 7:30 PM PST
Saturday: VS Anaheim Ducks
Staples Center, 7:30 PM PST

The Week’s Outlook: Another Western Conference slate for the Kings this week. They’ll cap off the current four game road-trip Tuesday in Tennessee, and make way back to Staples Center for the next four dates. As for Tuesday, the Nashville Predators aren’t the most desirable opponent to hit the calendar. Coupled with the Kings’ recent troubled history with the Predators, is the fact that they currently sit at 9th place in the Western Conference. A win in their building won’t come easy. The return to Los Angeles welcomes the St. Louis Blues. The Kings have to win this game, there are absolutely no justifications for explaining a loss on Thursday. St. Louis is done, and playoff-caliber teams execute on sullen clubs. When you’re talking the finish to the week, you’re looking at a grand finale. I’d be shocked if the game wasn’t sold-out already. It’s the Anaheim Ducks, it’s a Saturday night, and the implications are fu**ing ginormous. This is hockey at it’s finest, folks. Let’s Go Kings.

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*Photo Credits:
Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings, Away Primary: Michael Zampelli
Alexei Ponikarovsky, Los Angeles Kings, Away Primary : Associated Press
Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings, Away Primary: Getty Images/Jamie Sabau
Wayne Simmonds, Los Angeles Kings, Away Primary: Getty Images/Victor Decolongon

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 February 28 with a look ahead to the week of March 7.

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The Week That Was: The six-game homestand endured with three contests at Staples Center this week. Unlike the perfect record attained the seven days prior, the Kings stumbled through the week with a 1-2-0 performance. The schedule wasn’t very favorable, calling for the Western Conference‘s top two slots and a Pacific Division opponent at-pace in the standings. The week started in ugly fashion, a 7-4 drubbing by way of the Detroit Red Wings. The Kings were certainly due for a letdown, as Monday night’s loss was their first in regulation in 14 games. Jonathan Bernier got the call from Terry Murray after the collapse, and returned to the crease in impressive form. Bernier proved to be the ultimate factor Thursday night, recording a shutout with 25 saves in a 1-0 victory against the Phoenix Coyotes. The last game on slate for the week welcomed the NHL‘s best Vancouver Canucks. The 3-1 loss to Vancouver on Saturday once again spotlighted inefficiency on the powerplay, and the offense as a whole. At week’s end, the Kings still find themselves maintaining playoff positioning in the Western Conference, and continue to be entrenched in the Pacific Division‘s pace-race.

Pacific Division Standings

TEAM                      GP     W     L     OT    PTS
San Jose                   66    38    22     6      82
Phoenix                    67    34    23    10     78
Dallas                       65    35    23     7      77
LOS ANGELES         65    36    25    4      76
Anaheim                  66     35    26     5      75

Pacific Division Notes: The San Jose Sharks continue to lead the division, and continue their rampid second-half push with an 8-2-0 record in their last ten games. Keeping pace has been the storyline for rest of the division, with just three points separating the 2nd place Phoenix Coyotes and the cellar’s Anaheim Ducks. A Pacific Division championship is still a reasonable possibility for all teams in the group, but should not attract focus. Of the 17 games remaining on the Kings’ regular season schedule, eight of those are against Pacific Division counterparts. This means 16 points at-hand for the Kings, plenty of opportunity for division movement.

Western Conference Standings

TEAM                     GP     W     L    OT    PTS
5. Calgary               68    35    24    9      79
6. Phoenix              67    34    23    10     78
7. Dallas                 65    35    23    7      77
8. LOS ANGELES   65    36    25    4     76
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9. Minnesota          66    34    25    7      75
10. Anaheim          66    35    26    5      75
11. Nashville          66    33    24    9      75
12. Columbus        64    31    26    7      69

Western Conference Notes: Just outside the range of my posted rankings, the Chicago Blackhawks sit at 4th place. They’ve won eight consecutive games, and nine of their last ten. Yet, they find themselves with only five points of security in the Western Conference‘s top eight. We’re finally seeing more separation in the standings as the regular season dwindles, with the Columbus Blue Jackets holding a 6-point gap from the heavily saturated group of contenders. However, Columbus has two games at-hand on the three teams ahead, making it difficult to jump to conclusions on the club’s chances. The Pacific Division continues to maintain a strong presence in the Conference, with the Anaheim Ducks the only team on the outside looking in. However, Orange County finds their team only one point from playoff positioning. The Kings’ remaining 17 games call for Western Conference opponents, eight of those within the Pacific Division. This doesn’t favor the Kings, as division games now account for heavy Western Conference implications.

The Week Ahead

Monday: VS. Dallas Stars
- Staples Center, 7:30 PM PST
Wednesday: AT Detroit Red Wings
- Joe Louis Arena, 4:30 PM PST
Friday: AT Columbus Blue Jackets
- Nationwide Arena, 4:00 PM PST
Sunday: AT Dallas Stars
- American Airlines Arena, 12:00 PM PST

The Week’s Outlook: The Dallas Stars hit the Kings’ calendar twice this week, the final two meetings of the season between the two clubs. To tab these dates ‘huge’ would be an overwhelming understatement. Dallas is just ahead of the Kings in both the Western Conference and Pacific Division, idle with 77 points, one-up on the Kings’ 76. Tomorrow night’s contest is the final installment of the Kings’ six-game stand at Staples Center, they’ll be back on the road for the next four dates. An opportunity for redemption presents itself on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings. Monday night’s collapse against Detroit must be mentally dismissed for both the organization and it’s fans, and with Jonathan Quick in goal. Friday night presents the final meeting of the season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Kings are 2-1-0 against Columbus this season. Columbus is arguably the hungriest team in the NHL right now. They’re flirting with disaster, 12th in the Western Conference with a points-gap that looks uglier by the hour. However, they have two games at-hand on the three teams ahead of them, which justifies their recognition in the Western Conference‘s playoff picture. From the looks of it, for the Kings, the playoffs have already begun. Big week, huge games.

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 February 14 with a look ahead to the week of February 21.

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The Week That Was: The Kings extended their point-streak to 11 games, but the ride ended Saturday night in Long Island. The week’s results added up to a record of 1-1-1, the Kings earning three out of the possible six points on the board. Wednesday night kicked off the week in grand fashion. A 4-3 shootout victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets added two points to the record, but Kris Russell‘s game-tying goal with just 1:23 remaining in regulation pocketed the extra point for Columbus. The remainder of the week called for a long weekend in New York. The Kings returned to Madison Square Garden, the setting for Erik Ersberg‘s downfall. For the second straight season, Terry Murray called for the back-up goaltender on the road against the New York Rangers. Fortunately, Jonathan Bernier didn’t suffer the same effects. Bernier played well with 34 saves, while Matt Greene recorded his first goal of the season, tightening his ever-intriguing scoring race with co-worker Rob Scuderi. The week ended with a contest against the NHL‘s third-worst club, the New York Islanders. This may have been the ugliest performance of the season. Not much to say about it, not interested in analyzing Saturday’s nightmare. This was the first regulation loss for the Kings in 12 games, it was also the last Eastern Conference opponent of the season. The remainder of the season’s schedule calls for Western Conference counterparts, all three-point games.

Pacific Division Standings

TEAM                    GP       W         L       OT      PTS

Phoenix                 60       32       19        9       73
San Jose                 60       33       21        6       72
Dallas                    59       31       22        6       68
LOS ANGELES       59      32       23       4       68
Anaheim                60       32       24       4        68

Pacific Division Notes: Two things stand out looking at this week’s Pacfic Division lineup. The Los Angeles Kings have finally ended their vacancy in the basement, and the Dallas Stars have finally surrendered the top spot, dropping to third place. The Phoenix Coyotes stand atop with with a vengeance, winners of seven consecutive games. The Anaheim Ducks were without goaltender Jonas Hiller this week, he’s out indefinitely with recurring lightheadedness. Without Hiller, the Ducks allowed an astounding 21 goals in three losses, dropping them to last in the Pacific Division standings. The San Jose Sharks came just short of matching the Coyotes’ perfect week, picking up five points with a 2-0-1 record.

Western Conference Standings

TEAM                      GP       W       L       OT        PTS
5. Nashville              59       31      20       8         70
6. Calgary                61       31      22       8         70
7. Minnesota            59       31      22       6         68
8. Dallas                  59       31      22       6         68
9. LOS ANGELES    59       32     23       4        68
10. Anaheim           60       32       24       4         68
11. Chicago            59       30       23       6         66
12. Columbus          58      29       23       6         64

Western Conference Notes: The headline of week looks to be the Calgary Flames, jumping to 6th place with three commanding victories scoring a combined 17 goals. They capped off the week in the spotlight in the NHL‘s 2nd Heritage Classic. Four clubs saturate the Western Conference‘s playoff boundary with 68 points respectively. The battle of 68 involves the Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, and the Anaheim Ducks. Three teams are just five points behind this group. Just as notable, the 68 point club is just five points behind the third place Phoenix Coyotes. How close it is. At this point, only two teams in the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings can be considered safe bets for playoff positioning. The St. Louis Blues are sliding back into contention with a 3-0-0 record this week, leaving the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers as the only two teams free to begin pondering their off-season plans.

The Week Ahead: As I noted earlier, the Kings faced their final Eastern Conference opponent of the season against the New York Islanders on Saturday. This makes regulation victories all the more important, as surrendering an extra point to a Western Conference counterpart at this point is too valuable. The franchise-record ten game road swing hits its final installment Wednesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings carry a 5-1-3 record on the trip, and have an opportunity to execute on an Anaheim club that is struggling without their starting goalie Jonas Hiller. The Kings return to Staples Center for the first time since January 26th to begin a six game homestand. The first guest in Los Angeles will be the Minnesota Wild, who stand with the Kings at 68 points. The week’s finale welcomes the Colorado Avalanche, one of the few teams out of the Western Conference playoff picture. All games continue to instill a must-win approach with two games against opponents sharing the Kings’ 68 point-total, and a no-excuses matchup with the free-falling Colorado Avalanche. Here’s to capping off the road swing, and continuing the push for a playoff position back in Los Angeles.

*PHOTO CREDITS
Matt Greene, Los Angeles Kings – GETTY IMAGES
Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes – ASSOCIATED PRESS
Curtis Glencross, Calgary Flames – ASSOCIATED PRESS