LA has took over first place in their division on March 22nd when they were able to beat the Blues in front of a sold out arena. The game ended in a shootout and they won with a final score of 1-0. This was the sixth win in a row for this team as they make a strong bid for the playoffs. Winning the Pacific division is going to be critical for increasing their chances of success in the playoffs. If the playoffs were held today, as the division winner, they would be the third seed in the Western Conference. However, they currently have 86 points which places them at 7th overall in the Conference. In fact, second place Phoenix is currently the 7th seed with 86 points. They are leading the division on tie breaking rules. They will need your support at their next game, make sure you buy your King tickets today.
After Phoenix comes Dallas with 85 points. However Colorado has 85 points, San Jose has 84 and the Calgary Flames have 83 points. They may be leading the division now, but with only eight games left in the season, they could end up not making the playoffs at all. Their current winning streak has created enough momentum that, at the very least, they should make the playoffs, but the race is tight. There are five teams competing for two playoff spots and three of these teams are going to be sitting at home when the season is over.
The difference between being a number three seed with a division win and being 7th or 8th is significant. Although home ice in the playoffs isn’t always an advantage, who you play in the first round is. At the time of this writing, as a 3rd seed, they would be playing the Chicago Blackhawks. As the seventh seed they would be playing Vancouver, which would be a much tougher opponent.
Although they are on a winning streak and look strong on paper, if you watch their games, you will notice that their strongest attribute is their goal keeper Jonathan Quick. He has literally won games for them this season and has been able to keep a game competitive with his goal saving ability; keeping a game close, giving a chance for the team to still win or tie. His eight shutouts this season is the best in the NHL and he is fourth in the league in save percentage.
LA has had an inconsistent offense all season, and they will need to focus on scoring and controlling the puck better in these last few game. Their defense must be able to pick up the level of play and reduce the shots on goal, giving Quick some relief during the game. It is hard to imagine this team going deep into the playoffs being too dependent on their goal keeper.
Their remaining schedule consists of Boston at home, then in the final week of March, away versus Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Minnesota. April 2nd they play Edmonton at home, Kings tickets are available now! The final two games will be versus San Jose: at home on the 5th with the final regular season game at San Jose on the 7th of April. This schedule favors this team for making the playoffs. Once they get past Boston and Vancouver, their remaining six games are against teams with weaker or slightly weaker records. They remain healthy now with no serious injuries and are looking strong to make the playoffs.
