The LA Kings Captain is having one of the best years of his career, and he is helping the Kings stay alive for the fourth spot in the West.
The LA Kings are still in the mix for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West division, which is largely due to the play of Captain Anze Kopitar. This year, Kopitar again leads the Kings in points with 34 and assists with 26. The 33-year-old also leads all Kings forwards with 21:24 average time on ice, and he is top ten in overall league scoring.
When it comes to power play assists, he is first in the NHL with 17 as of Thursday evening.
Kopitar’s career resume includes two Stanley Cups, five All-Star game appearances, two Selke awards, and he is well on his way to surpassing the 1,000 point mark in the near future. Yet, he has been underrated his entire career, with many people paying more attention to comparable central and eastern time zone players such as Chicago’s Jonathan Toews or Boston’s Patrice Bergeron and not giving Kopitar the respect he deserves.
Now, I understand that when Kopitar is playing phenomenally for the LA Kings night in and night out, most of the East coast is already asleep, but it is time to start recording Kings’ games so they can watch the brilliance of Anze Kopitar.
He never takes a shift off; he always makes the right play in the offensive zone as well as the defensive zone, and he is always on the ice for a critical play in the game, whether it be a crucial face-off or a late powerplay when the Kings need a goal.
Kopitar also consistently goes up against the other teams’ top players with the task of shutting them down defensively. Additionally, he has the job of carrying the load for the team’s offensive production.
Kings’ forward Matt Luff had high praise for Kopitar after a recent win. “I don’t think any team wouldn’t want him as their number one center. He just does so much on and off the ice for us. He’s just one of those guys you can always turn to. And he’s one of the guys that’s been helping me a lot through this past year and a bit, just making sure that I’m confident,”
This is exactly what you want from the captain of your organization, especially one such as the Kings with a steady influx of young talented players. In Kopitar, the LA Kings have a captain that will mentor these younger players and help them through the beginning of their career.
Kopitar truly does it all for the Kings, not only this year but also throughout his entire career. Since his debut with the LA Kings in 2006, and every day since, the contributions of the one-time kid from Slovenia both on and off the ice have been immeasurable to the organization’s success. And if the Kings can actually sneak into the playoffs this year, Anze Kopitar’s presence will be the main reason why.