Rink Royalty » Jake Abrahams http://rinkroyalty.com A Los Angeles Kings Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More Tue, 21 May 2013 02:33:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 Jake Muzzin: Calder Trophy Candidate http://rinkroyalty.com/2013/03/21/jake-muzzin-calder-trophy-candidate/ http://rinkroyalty.com/2013/03/21/jake-muzzin-calder-trophy-candidate/#comments Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:30:49 +0000 Jake Abrahams http://rinkroyalty.com/?p=3436 One week into the season, the stability of the Los Angeles Kings’ defensive corps was in serious question.  Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell, two anchors on last year’s Stanley Cup-winning backend, were both sidelined with long-term injuries.  Two months later, after countless roster moves and permutations of defensive parings, one thing has become certain: Jake [...]

Jake Muzzin: Calder Trophy Candidate - Rink Royalty - Rink Royalty - A Los Angeles Kings Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

]]> One week into the season, the stability of the Los Angeles Kings’ defensive corps was in serious question.  Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell, two anchors on last year’s Stanley Cup-winning backend, were both sidelined with long-term injuries.  Two months later, after countless roster moves and permutations of defensive parings, one thing has become certain: Jake Muzzin has seized his opportunity, and deserves a look for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.

Mar 18, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin (6) shoots and scores a goal in the first period against the Phoenix Coyotes at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Numbers-wise, there is no question Muzzin belongs in this conversation.  He is tops amongst rookie defensemen in goals with six.  In 26 games, Muzzin has 13 points, good for third amongst first-year defensemen.  He also leads all rookie skaters in the plus/minus category with a gaudy +14.  A testament to his toughness, Muzzin ranks fifth amongst rookies in penalty minutes with 33.

Another impressive candidate is Edmonton’s Justin Schultz.  He has displayed good offensive ability on a struggling Oilers team.  Unlike Schultz, Muzzin has an edge because he is on a winning team.  There are a host of strong rookie forwards as well: Tampa Bay’s Cory Conacher, Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher, and Chicago’s Brandon Saad have all put forth noteworthy efforts this season.

Only one King in history has won the Calder Trophy: Luc Robitaille in the 1986-1987 season.  There is a third of a season still to be played, but as Muzzin gains more confidence and comfort with the fourth-place Kings, he should get more recognition league-wide for his performance as a rookie defenseman.

]]> http://rinkroyalty.com/2013/03/21/jake-muzzin-calder-trophy-candidate/feed/ 0 Kings Watching The Standings Already http://rinkroyalty.com/2013/02/27/kings-watching-the-standings-already/ http://rinkroyalty.com/2013/02/27/kings-watching-the-standings-already/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:45:10 +0000 Jake Abrahams http://rinkroyalty.com/?p=3292 Just 17 games into the 48 game NHL regular season schedule, the Los Angeles Kings are nightly observers of the tight western conference playoff picture.  After each of their last two wins, the Kings have pushed themselves into a top-eight seed, only to fall out the next day following wins or shootout losses from other [...]

Kings Watching The Standings Already - Rink Royalty - Rink Royalty - A Los Angeles Kings Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

]]> Just 17 games into the 48 game NHL regular season schedule, the Los Angeles Kings are nightly observers of the tight western conference playoff picture.  After each of their last two wins, the Kings have pushed themselves into a top-eight seed, only to fall out the next day following wins or shootout losses from other conference opponents.  This is the kind of intense shuffling we see at the end of a normal season schedule, highlighting that every point is crucial even at this point.

Jan. 26, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Kings head coach Darryl Sutter reacts during the first period against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

There is a neat website called sportsclubstats.com that uses high-level statistical analysis to calculate playoff odds based on nightly outcomes.  Currently, the Kings are projected to have a 76.3% chance of making the postseason.  This would rise above 80% were the Kings to win tonight against Detroit.  It also projects that the Kings need at least 39 points in their final 31 games to have a 100% chance of making the playoffs.  That is the equivalent of a 18-10-3 record.

It is clear the Kings must sustain their current good play if they want to qualify for the playoffs, but a few factors paint an optimistic picture.  The Kings heavy road schedule at the beginning of the season means it will be playing a lot at STAPLES Center the remainder of the year, where they are currently 4-1-1.  Los Angeles is also winners of four in a row, and six of its last seven games.  As displayed last postseason, when this team catches fire, it can be hard to stop.

For those who are standings-watching as much as Head Coach Darryl Sutter admitted in this post by Kings Insider Jon Rosen, sportsclubstats.com offers exact, up-to-date information you cannot get anywhere else.  With many important conference matchups every night, keep checking to see how the Kings must play the rest of the year to get into the west’s top-eight.

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