It’s the second day of February. Groundhog’s day.
It’s the day the nation recognizes as a traditional honor for Punxsutawney Phil, foreseer of winter weather.
The Washington Post reported that the marmot oracle saw shadow on the overcast afternoon. A prediction that means six more weeks of winter.
The Kings need some of that foresight. Especially if they want to extend their winter sport season into the spring.
L.A. went 3-4-4 in the month of January. The Kings have slid into 5th place in the Pacific Division; 9th in the Western Conference. They’re starting to seem comfortable there.
Los Angeles Kings
L.A. is 21-16-12, for 54 points; three-points back from the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.
Earlier this afternoon the Kings were honored by President Barack Obama at the White House for their 2014 Stanley Cup victory. A reminiscent taste of the limelight.
Hopefully this ceremony serves as a reminder, and more importantly as motivation. The Kings need to rage against the darkness of the long winter, and fight their way back into the light.
Otherwise the Kings story will seem like the Hollywood film Groundhog’s Day, where Bill Murray repeats his day, day after day. If the Kings continue this lackluster effort to score goals, they will lose day after day. They can’t win every game 1-0, and they aren’t many games where they’ve only allowed one goal.
Around the league players and fans alike are expecting the Kings to make their usual late season dash to the finish line. The big push-back to the get into the playoffs.
January wasn’t much of a shove.
Every team knows the Kings want to make that push, and they certainly know the Kings are dangerous once they get into the playoffs. Every night opponents are going to try and knock the Kings out of contention. They don’t respect the fact that the Kings are defending champions; they fear it. They don’t want the Kings to have the chance to do it again.
It’s going to make the last 30-game run to the playoffs even more difficult.
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On top of which, everyone knows the Kings have struggled on the road. In 21 games away from Staples Center this season L.A. is 5-10-6. 20 of L.A.’s last 33 games are on the road.
If L.A. wants to make the playoffs they must win at least 10 games away, and 10 games at home. The Kings need a minimum of 40 points to have a solid shot.
40 points in the standings would give the Kings a total of 94 points. Last season the Kings finished with 46 wins and 100 points, Dallas who was the 8th seed in the West got in with 91 points; Minnesota finished 7th, with 98 points. 40 would put the Kings right there in the mix of things. Just where they want to be.
The Kings next game is Tuesday, at 4:00 p.m. PST against the Washington Capitals.
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Jan 21, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; The Los Angeles Kings players huddle around the bench during stoppage in play during the third period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. The Sharks won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
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