5 players the LA Kings are going to need to produce to advance in playoffs

The Los Angeles Kings are going to need to big-time performances from these five players if they hope to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Buffalo Sabres v Los Angeles Kings
Buffalo Sabres v Los Angeles Kings | Harry How/GettyImages
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Kevin Fiala/Andrei Kuzmenko

The next two players I am grouping together but where the Los Angeles Kings are going to really need them to produce is on power play. The Kings have struggled for most of the season but towards the end of the season, the power play unit has come alive and especially done a good job when the Kings have used five fowards in their power play unit.

Down the stretch, Kevin Fiala has been playing great hockey and in his last 15 games he has averaged a point per game with 10 goals and five assists. However, half of those goals have come on the power play and he finished the season with 14 power play goals.

One of the reasons for the improvement was the addition of Andrei Kuzmenko, who has been a force with a puck deep in the zone. He has been able to control the puck and find the open skater with some great passing. In only 22 games, Kuzmenko has had five power play assists but three of them came in the final five games of the regular season.

Last year, special teams was a big storyline as the Oilers were much better at capitalizing on the man advantage. Even a little improvement here could go a long way in switching the outcome of the series in the Kings' favor.

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