In peak form with potential for a rare division crown and perhaps even the best single-season point total in franchise history, the Kings will square off with the Seattle Kraken on Monday.
It’ll be another chance to extend their franchise record for wins at home as well as a shot to solidify their playoff position. They entered Sunday’s slate of games –– which was highlighted by Washington Capitals wing Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s career goal-scoring record –– with a four-point edge on Edmonton and a three-point deficit behind Vegas for the Pacific Division lead.
If they can catch the Golden Knights, it would be just the second division title for the Kings since they entered the NHL in 1967. Their first came in 1991 with their 102 points that season representing their second most after the 105 they accumulated en route to a second-place finish in 1975. The Kings, with 97 points, could eclipse that franchise mark by collecting nine of a possible 12 points from their remaining schedule.
“It’s a confident group,” said captain Anže Kopitar following Saturday’s 3-0 win over a heavily diluted but still dangerous Edmonton Oilers squad. “We’re playing pretty well. Some nights, it’s not necessarily the greatest hockey, but it still gets it done. So that’s something we want to continue building and make sure we’re ready when the playoffs roll around.”
Kopitar and Coach Jim Hiller both acknowledged that the Kings’ success this season hasn’t always arrived in the most spectacular or convincing fashion, but the addition of Andrei Kuzmenko has helped change the former and more consistent results have also turned around the latter.
Kuzmenko’s snipe on Saturday added to a highlight reel with the Kings that’s already longer than his collection of clips from the other two franchises he played for this season combined.
“He’s a high-skill guy. His offensive-zone play is very impressive, how he creates stuff that you don’t necessarily think he can create,” Kopitar said.
When Kuzmenko arrived in Los Angeles on the night of the trade deadline, the Kings had a .592 points percentage (12th in the NHL) behind 2.80 goals per game (23rd) and a 15% conversion rate on the power play (30th). Since his March 8 Kings debut, those numbers soared to .813 (second), 3.56 (sixth) and 20% (16th).
They’ll put those ascending figures on the line against Seattle, a sub-.500 club on a tempered roll after consecutive wins over Vancouver and San Jose by a 10-1 combined count.
Seattle fired the only coach in its brief history, Dave Hakstol, before the season began. He guided them not only to a 2023 playoff berth, but an upset of defending champion Colorado that spring. After a .500 season last year, Seattle has only hustled backwards once more under 2009 Stanley Cup winner Dan Bylsma.
Jared McCann has led the franchise in scoring in each of its three campaigns and remained in position to do so again. Free-agent addition, former Duck and 2024 Stanley Cup champ Brandon Montour leads them in scoring from the blue line.
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