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Los Angeles Kings Sent Powerful Message by Elite Washington Capitals

By Ian Smith

Feb 5, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Nick Shore (21) skates with the puck as Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik (44) defends in the third period at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Nick Shore (21) skates with the puck as Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik (44) defends in the third period at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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A team can only play the opponent in front of them, but it’s true that not all wins are created equal. A victory against a contender is worth more in the realm of public opinion that one against a cellar-dweller. The Los Angeles Kings proved against the Washington Capitals that they aren’t quite there yet amongst the elite NHL teams.

I try to remain as objective as I possibly can be over the course of an entire season, yet I’m often prone to a roller coaster of emotions through the peaks and valleys of a schedule.

A couple weeks ago, when the Kings were in the midst of their losing skid, I tried telling myself that the struggles weren’t the end of the world.

The team still has its core largely intact from its last Stanley Cup, and they’ve suffered through numerous key injuries and relative underachievement from great players to this point.

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Then their recent winning streak began, and I felt strangely justified. They had found their way, and were about to show the league why they’ve won multiple Cups in the past 5 years.

Playing the best team in hockey tends to put things in perspective, for better or worse. The Kings got demolished by the Capitals. There’s no other way to spin it.

Over their 5 game winning streak, the Kings beat the New Jersey Devils, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Arizona Coyotes, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Avalanche and Coyotes are the two worst teams in the league. The Devils and Hurricanes are below average. The Flyers win was really the only one that an outside observer would acknowledge as impressive.

Bill Parcells once said that you are what your record says you are. Right now, the record of the Kings reveals them to be a lower-tier playoff team. Nothing more, nothing less.

Things can change, but the Capitals game really sent a powerful message of where things stand. I still think the Kings in great shape for a solid playoff run once things coalesce more, but the Capitals are a legitimate championship contender, and the Kings lost 5-0 to them.

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It’s certainly disheartening, but the team can use this as an opportunity to regroup and grow from the resulting adversity. They might not be at that upper echelon yet, but with a team consisting of such quality veteran leadership and proven winners, discount this squad at your own risk.

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