Will the Los Angeles Kings Make the NHL Playoffs?
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen looks at 15 questions as the NHL regular season winds down.
One of the big questions on everyone’s mind: Will the Los Angeles Kings make the playoffs?
The answer . . . is yes.
Well, at least according to Dan Rosen. Rosen thinks the Kings will get in, finishing 2nd in the Pacific Division ahead of the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames.
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It won’t be an easy road for the Kings.
L.A. has 14 games remaining. 11 games are against Western Conference opponents. 8 games are against Pacific Division opponents. 9 games are on the road, where the Kings have a season record of 12-14-6.
The Kings are currently 2 points behind the Flames, 3 points behind the Canucks, and 1 point behind the Winnipeg Jets – who currently hold the second Wild-Card spot in the Western Conference.
It’s close and it’s going to come down to the wire.
RinkRoyalty has estimated it would take the Kings at least 13 wins out of their last 20 games, or getting to 96 points in the standings. L.A. has 79 points. Since the countdown of their last 20 games started the Kings record is 4-1-1, giving them 9 points.
The Kings are going to have to put in a ton of work if they want to keep playing hockey.
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The really bad news is, will this stretch waste the Kings energy reserves and burn them out by the time they get to the playoffs? Or will this be the same Kings of the last few years, that ride the momentum and thrill of living on the edge to keep pushing themselves further along?
L.A.’s schedule looks daunting, and no team can be taken for granted. However, here is the lineup of opponents the Kings have left:
Arizona Coyotes (tonight), Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks (twice), New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers (twice), Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, and San Jose Sharks.
The good new: many of the Kings remaining games are against teams they are in direct competition with for a playoff position.
If the Kings want it, they can take their spot by force. Just go out and beat the teams you need to jump ahead of. Big games will be the two against the Canucks, the game against the Wild, Sharks, and Flames. Five games.
The Kings are certainly capable of jumping back into the playoff foray. It’s going to come down to a few clutch performances. As we’ve seen in the past the Kings perform their best in high-pressure, must-win, situations. L.A. will make it to the post-season dance.
Believe it.
Go Kings Go!
March 5, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings celebrate their 4-3 shoot out victory against the Montreal Canadiens at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports