The LA Kings have been on quite a roll lately as they have won three straight as well as 12 of their last 15 games. They are currently in second place in the Pacific Division and have a big matchup on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers are only two points back of the Kings and have done a good job keeping pace with Los Angeles.
However, for the Kings, they should be looking forward and not necessarily behind them and if they are looking forward then they have their sights set on the Vegas Golden Knights. The Kings have certainly made it a race for the division with their strong play but have gotten help from the Golden Knights as they have struggled recently.
After the Golden Knights had won six straight, they have now lost two straight games as they fell to the Oilers by a final score of 3-2 before being shut out by the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday by a final score of 4-0. It is also worth mentioning that both of these games were at home and now the Golden Knights are going on the road for three straight games against Calgary, Vancouver, and Colorado.
Schedule certainly favors the LA Kings down the stretch
Both teams have seven games left on the season and the Golden Knights still have a three point lead over the Los Angeles Kings. However, the Golden Knights are on the road for five of their final seven games meanwhile the Kings are home for five of their final seven games. This certainly has to give the Kings a little bit of an advantage as they currently have the best home record in the NHL.
If the LA Kings were to win the Pacific Division, it would be the first time they have won the division since the 1990-91 season, which also was the only time they have won the division in franchise history.
A division title would mean the Kings would avoid the Edmonton Oilers, who has ended their season three straight years, in the first round of the playoff as they would play one of the Wild Card teams. However, that might not be the best thing as they would play the St. Louis Blues, who is the hottest team in the NHL with 11 straight wins.
For the LA Kings, they can't necessarily worry about who they might play in the first round and a division title would be a great accomplishment for the franchise.