Only the Edmonton Oilers have had every bit of a turbulent season as the LA Kings but in a different way. Unlike Edmonton, the Kings were one of the NHL’s best teams that held a top seed in the NHL Playoff Bracket early. But while the Oilers climbed back into contention, LA fell out of favor.
Yet following a coaching change, the Kings aren’t just back in the wild card hunt, they are a top-three team in the Pacific Division. However, the Vegas Golden Knights are quickly approaching, and that could drop the Kings back into the second wild card.
But if everything remains the same between March 19th and late April, who would the Kings play in the First Round of the NHL Playoffs? Ironically, that team would be the Oilers in what you can call a battle between a pair of groups who, at one point or another, didn’t look like legitimate postseason contenders.
NHL Playoff Bracket has the LA Kings facing a powerful division rival
Should the Golden Knights climb back into third place and everything remains equal, LA will play the Vancouver Canucks, who you could argue may make for an easier opponent than the Oilers. Since their coaching change, Edmonton has a 16-game winning streak to their resume, and they have also been one of the league’s hottest teams recently with a 7-1-2 record.
As for the Kings, they have just been okay, winning five of their last 10 and posting one overtime loss. Vegas hasn’t fared any better, but it’s important to remember how well they stocked up during the trade deadline, and that was something Los Angeles didn’t do.
If we see similar standings in April, the Kings will play the Oilers, but if they drop back into the wild card, that matchup could come against the Canucks. Or, if Vancouver keeps playing at or near 0.500 hockey and they lose the top overall seed, then perhaps the Winnipeg Jets or the ultimate top team in the Central gets the honor.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)