Before the season, you probably could have turned a lot of heads by predicting that the Los Angeles Kings would make a run at a Western Conference playoff spot. They finished dead-last in the West a year ago, 20 points out of a playoff spot.There is still a lot of hockey to go, but the Kings are on the verge of one of the league's better turnarounds this season. Heading into the start of a three-game homestand Thursday night, the Kings are just three points out of the eighth spot in the West, and they're playing the best hockey of any of the teams they're fighting with.
The Kings are 7-2-1 in their last nine games. That run has been enough to lift them to 55 points on the season, just three behind eighth-place Vancouver in the West. The Kings have one game in hand on fellow West playoff contenders Vancouver, Dallas, and Minnesota (the Stars and Wild each have 59 points), two games in hand on Edmonton (58 points) and Columbus (57), and five games in hand on fifth-place Anaheim (61).
Not only are the Kings playing good hockey, but they've been doing it in some tough venues. During their most recent 4-1 road trip, the Kings beat Washington and New Jersey, two top teams in the Eastern Conference. They would have had a perfect road trip were it not for some rather shady officiating at the end of their game in Montreal.
General manager Dean Lombardi has done a super job restocking the organization with top young players. Veteran coach Terry Murray, in his first year with the Kings, has gotten these youngsters to buy into a defense-first system. While guys like Anze Kopitar and Patrick O'Sullivan have flashed skills, they've also played both ways. Captain Dustin Brown is one of the more underrated two-way forwards in the league.
The biggest key to the recent surge, however, could be goaltender Jonathan Quick. He started the year in the minors, but Quick has quickly (sorry) established himself as the Kings' top goalie. His goals against is down to 2.40, and the save percentage is up to .919.
More credit for the Kings' play could also be given to defenseman Jack Johnson, who returned recently after missing 41 games with a shoulder injury. Johnson is a solid player on the blue line, isn't afraid of a little contact, and has shown good-enough hands that Murray has used him in a couple shootouts (Johnson had the shootout winner Tuesday against the Islanders).
If the Kings are good enough to sneak into the playoffs, they won't be expected to go far. However, don't just dismiss a team like this. They're young, eager, talented, and extremely well-coached. Murray has gotten them all to buy into the system, and there's no question he knows how to coach young players in pressure situations.
