Kings on Regal Run for the Cup
After eking into the Stanley Cup playoffs in the final days, the Los Angeles Kings have won 10 of 11 playoff contests and are two wins shy of a berth in the Finals. The franchise has never won the Stanley Cup, but these eighth-seeded Kings look like the team to beat the rest of the way.
The only loss was at home to Vancouver four weeks ago, after the Kings had taken a commanding three-games-to-none lead over the Canucks, the President’s Trophy winner as the NHL’s top team. The Kings haven’t lost since, finishing off Vancouver and sweeping the St. Louis Blues before winning two straight in Phoenix, cooling off the Coyotes, another of the red-hot Cinderella teams.
These days, the Kings seem to dominate opponents in long stretches, as they did for much of Tuesday’s 4-0 win over the suddenly stumbling Coyotes. The offensive numbers tell the story of the Kings’ playoff push:
Los Angeles Kings in 2012 Playoffs
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kings. . . . .Opp
Goals. . . . . . . . . . . .35. . . . . . 16
Shooting Pct. . . . . . 10.1. . . . . 4.9
PP Goals. . . . . . . . . .6. . . . . . . .3
PP Pct. . . . . . . . . . 10.2. . . . . 6.4
SH Goals. . . . . . . . . .4. . . . . . . .0
Another key ingredient in the Kings’ success is goalie Jonathan Quick, who has allowed more than two goals only once in 11 games -- in the 3-1 loss to Vancouver on April 18. His 1.45 GAA and .951 save percentage are the highest marks among all playoff goaltenders who have played more than three games. On Tuesday, he stopped 24 shots for his second shutout of the playoffs.
The Western Conference finals loomed as a potential goalie clinic of low-scoring games. Phoenix goalie Mike Smith has been terrific for weeks, frequently posting wins despite his team being outshot. His .943 save percentage ranks second to Quick’s .951, but he hasn’t been able to work the same magic against the Kings, who have pumped in eight goals in the first two games. With a hat trick on Tuesday, Jeff Carter alone tallied more goals in a game than most opposing teams facing Smith.
Perhaps the Coyotes will fair better in Los Angeles. After all, the Kings have yet to lose a road contest during this year’s playoffs. As an eighth seed, they have played seven of 11 games on the road and won them all. In those seven wins, the Kings have outscored the home team 26-10, with five power-play goals and all four shorthanded goals coming on their opponents’ ice. The home team has managed only a single power-play goal against Quick.
With Tuesday’s win, the Kings tied an NHL record for consecutive road victories in a single postseason. The last team to win seven in a row on the road was the Chicago Blackhawks during their 2010 championship season.
The Kings matched another record with nine straight road playoff victories over two seasons. A year ago, the Kings were eliminated by San Jose in the first round, but won their last two road games.
The nine-game road winning streak belongs to the New York Islanders, set in the course of running up their third and fourth consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 1982 and 1983. Those Islanders may be an inspiration to the Kings, in the midst of their own legitimate run for the Cup.