LA Kings: West Division power rankings after Week Four

Where do the LA Kings land the West Division power rankings after week four?

While one team is back from a pause in their season due to COVID-19, two more are now sitting out as the pandemic continues to interrupt schedules in the West Division.

Meanwhile, the LA Kings did play last week, but these rankings might have been kinder to them if they hadn’t.

Here’s where the Kings and everyone else in the West Division stand through four weeks.

1. Vegas Golden Knights (7-1-1)

Last week: 2

The Golden Knights looked just fine coming back from the COVID-19 interruption to their season, jumping all over the Kings on Friday and then beating them again on Sunday. Vegas is in a three-way tie atop the West but has played two fewer games than the Colorado Avalanche and three fewer than the St. Louis Blues.

Next four games: Anaheim (2), @ San Jose, Colorado

2. Colorado Avalanche (7-3-1)

Last week: 1

Just one game for the Avalanche last week, a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, before COVID-19 halted their schedule. Colorado is hoping it can resume its season against Vegas on Sunday. The timing of the shutdown may actually have been good for the Avs. Nathan MacKinnon could be ready to return from a lower-body injury this weekend.

Next four games: @ Vegas (2), Vegas (2)

3. St. Louis Blues (7-4-1)

Last week: 3

The Blues saw a four-game winning streak come to an end with back-to-back losses to the Arizona Coyotes. Arizona is a team St. Louis is about to get very familiar with, as these teams are in a stretch where they’re playing each other six times in two weeks. In addition to losing a pair of games, the Blues also lost Robert Thomas for four-to-six weeks with a broken thumb.

Next four games: Arizona, @ Minnesota, @ Arizona (2)

4. Minnesota Wild (6-5-0)

Last week: 4

Like the Avalanche, the Wild’s season has been on pause since last Tuesday due to COVID-19. They’re hoping to pick things up against the Blues on Thursday.

Next four games: St. Louis, @ Los Angeles (2), @ Anaheim

5. Arizona Coyotes (5-5-1)

Last week: 6

Postponements to games they were supposed to play against the Avalanche, and Wild mean the Coyotes are currently in a stretch where they’re playing six straight games against the Blues. Arizona’s fared pretty well so far, winning two of the first three. Conor Garland is building off his breakout season a year ago, leading Arizona with 12 points in 11 games.

Next four games: @ St. Louis, St. Louis (2), Los Angeles

6. Anaheim Ducks (5-5-3)

Last week: 8

That was the best week of the season for the Ducks, who’ve moved themselves out of the basement of our rankings. Sure, they played the two teams below them in these rankings, but they picked up five points in three games and even scored four goals in a game for the first time this season, albeit in a shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks on Friday. Anaheim currently holds the fourth and final playoff spot in the West, though in large part due to the fact that they’ve played more games than everyone else.

Next four games: @ Vegas (2), @ San Jose, Minnesota

7. San Jose Sharks (4-5-1)

Last week: 7

Due to their games against the Golden Knights being postponed due to the COVID-19 situation with Vegas, the Sharks had more than a week off before returning to action in Anaheim on Friday. They went on to split a pair of shootout decisions with the Ducks over the weekend. Three of San Jose’s four wins this season have come in shootouts.

Next four games: @ Los Angeles (2), Vegas, Anaheim

8. LA Kings (3-6-2)

Last week: 5

A pretty brutal week for the LA Kings, who’ve now sunk to the bottom of the Pacific Division standings as well as our power rankings. It started with a brutal performance against the Ducks, after which Anaheim head coach Dallas Eakins added insult to injury when he pretty much said, “Yeah, we played well, but it was just the Kings.”

LA then lost a pair of games in Vegas over the weekend, the first of which was over in a hurry. Sunday’s game was at least competitive, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a fourth straight loss. At least Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored his first NHL goal.

Next four games: San Jose Sharks (2), Minnesota Wild (2)