In the maximum form with potential of a rare division crown and perhaps even the best total point of a season in the history of the franchise, the Kings will compete with the Seattle Kraken on Monday.
It will be another chance to extend their franchise record for home victories as well as a shot to consolidate their position in the playoffs. They entered the slate of Sunday matches – which was highlighted by the Washington capital wing, Alex Ovechkin, breaking the goal record of the career of Wayne Gretzky – with a four -point advantage on Edmonton and a three -point deficit behind Vegas for the head of the Pacific division.
If they can catch the Golden Knights, this would only be the second division title for the Kings since they entered the NHL in 1967. Their first came in 1991 with their 102 points this season representing their second plus after the 105, they accumulated on the way to a second place in 1975. The Kings, with 97 points, could eclipse this brand of franchise by collecting nine possible of their program.
“It’s a confident group,” said Captain Ane Kopitar after the 3-0 Saturday victory on a very diluted but still dangerous Edmonton team. “We are playing fairly well. Some nights, it’s not necessarily the biggest hockey, but it always does it. It is therefore something that we want to continue to build and make sure that we are ready when the playoffs take place.”
Kopitar and coach Jim Hiller both recognized that the success of the Kings this season has not always happened from the most spectacular or convincing fashion, but the addition of Andrei Kuzmenko has helped to change the previous and more coherent results also overturned the last.
The Kuzmenko Snipe on Saturday added to a high -storage coil with the Kings which is already longer than its collection of clips from the other two franchises for which it has played this season.
“He is a very competent guy. His offensive zone game is very impressive, how he creates things that you do not necessarily think he can create,” said Kopitar.
When Kuzmenko arrived in Los Angeles on the night of the deadline for trade, the Kings had a percentage of 0.592 points (12th in the NHL) behind 2.80 goals per match (23rd) and a conversion rate of 15% on the power game (30th). Since its beginnings in March 8, these figures have climbed to 0.813 (second), 3.56 (sixth) and 20% (16th).
They will put these ascending figures on the line against Seattle, a club of sub500 on a roller dipped after consecutive victories on Vancouver and San Jose by a combined count 10-1.
Seattle dismissed the only coach of his brief history, Dave Hakstol, before the start of the season. He guided them not only to a cutting edge in the playoffs in 2023, but an upheaval of the champion in title Colorado this spring. After a season of .500 last year, Seattle only retreated the winner of the Stanley 2009 Cup, Dan Bylsma.
Jared McCann directed the score franchise in each of his three campaigns and remained in a position to start again. The addition of a free agent, the former duck and the Stanley 2024 Cup champion, Brandon Montour, lead them by marking the blue line.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
