Since this past month when the Los Angeles Kings and new general manager Ken Holland made the change to replace now-former head coach Jim Hiller with the new interim head coach DJ Smith, the team has played with more physicality and aggressiveness. But that hasn't translated to more wins in the win column in the standings in the West in the Pacific Division this regular season.
Los Angeles Kings and DJ Smith have a challenging road ahead this spring, but the postseason is still within reach in the West in the next few weeks on the ice
Smith and the Kings and the coaching staff must find the opportunity to take advantage of the teams in the standings in the West this past couple of weeks in the Pacific Division that have struggled to win games on the ice this month in late March in the conference. The Kings have still the ability to stay with the likes of the Utah Mammoth, Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights, and Seattle Kraken in the West in the standings for the wildcard race this upcoming postseason this regular season.
In this past few weeks, it looked like Smith and the Kings were starting to make progress on the road in the standings in the West this regular season. The Kings got seven out of a possible 10 points in the standings in the Pacific Division this month in early-to-mid March in a tough road trip in the West.
But in this past couple of weeks in the West, the Kings have lost four out of the past five games and have struggled to get points in the standings on home ice at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings need to be able to take advantage of this situation with the likes of the Predators and Golden Knights in Vegas still losing games in the West this regular season.
Raz Devraj of The Hockey Writers mentioned in a piece earlier this week that the Kings need better and more consistent goaltending in net in the West from goalies Anton Forsberg and Darcy Kuemper this regular season down the stretch in this upcoming next few weeks.
The Kings need to be able to win games that the team needs to advance in the standings in the Pacific Division this regular season, and for the blue line on defense and the goaltending to step up in big games in the West in this upcoming couple of weeks for the postseason this spring.
Devraj also points out the Kings and Smith having an easier strength of schedule down the stretch this regular season next month in early-to-mid April on the ice. The Kings play the next six games on home ice at Crypto.com Arena, if the team can start winning more games in the Pacific Division down the stretch this regular season in the next couple of weeks on the ice.
Smith and the Kings have a couple of games against teams outside of the playoff picture this upcoming postseason in the standings in the West this regular season in the next seven days in early April this spring.