Kings- Road Back to Royalty
"The LA Kings offence ranked 26th overall at the end of the regular
season. How did the team turn it around to become the highest scoring in
the playoffs so far?"
Very interesting question here, because LA this season has been one of the real surprise packages in playoff time. So far they hold a 1-0 series win in the final over the Rangers and you would have to back them to go all the way after the impressive form they have displayed. During regular season there was nothing really special about this team. After being 3-0 down in the series against San Jose, many assumed they were done for- but their fight back was a joy to behold and this team has pulled together and the best time and their spirit has soared as a result!
If you cast your mind back to their first Stanley Cup win back in 2012, it was a similar story to this one. That season the Kings just sneaked into 8th place by having fewer losses than Calgary, here no one game them a fighting chance. But multiple upset victories later, Dustin Brown was hoisting the cup.
But what has been the different this season? One answer lies in the key trade of Marion Gaborik from the Columbus Blue Jackets back in March. Since that trade, he has elevated both Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter on the first line to become one of the highest scoring forward lines. In the playoffs four out the five top scorers are all Kings players, which you would never have predicted previously. Their form alone has pushed LA past several harder opponents, Gaborik's hard working but unflashy style of play suits the Kings tough style and after a dismal spell in Ohio- he making up ground.
Jonathan Quick rediscovering his excellent form that made him so memorable back in 2012 has also been a major asset. In regular season he looked shaky at the best of times, and for a time his place was under threat to Ben Scrivens (eventually solved by trading him to Edmonton). But Quick has bounced back maginificent and has easily been the most impressive goalie of the playoffs and is rightly ranked 1st overall with a GAA of just 2.81.
The other main feature of this form has been the continued excellence of D-Man Drew Doughty who after a gold medal win with Canada in Sochi, has shown not signs of Olympic hangover. So far in the playoffs is the top ranking defenseman with 17 points (above even PK Subban) and has provided the Kings with a wall at the back and in my view, should be considered an outsider for the Conn Smythe trophy.
So far this Stanley Cup has been the year of the underdogs and it has been one of the most unpredicatbale and exciting races in some time. New York may want a repeat of 1994, but the boys in California have other ideas.
Very interesting question here, because LA this season has been one of the real surprise packages in playoff time. So far they hold a 1-0 series win in the final over the Rangers and you would have to back them to go all the way after the impressive form they have displayed. During regular season there was nothing really special about this team. After being 3-0 down in the series against San Jose, many assumed they were done for- but their fight back was a joy to behold and this team has pulled together and the best time and their spirit has soared as a result!
If you cast your mind back to their first Stanley Cup win back in 2012, it was a similar story to this one. That season the Kings just sneaked into 8th place by having fewer losses than Calgary, here no one game them a fighting chance. But multiple upset victories later, Dustin Brown was hoisting the cup.
But what has been the different this season? One answer lies in the key trade of Marion Gaborik from the Columbus Blue Jackets back in March. Since that trade, he has elevated both Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter on the first line to become one of the highest scoring forward lines. In the playoffs four out the five top scorers are all Kings players, which you would never have predicted previously. Their form alone has pushed LA past several harder opponents, Gaborik's hard working but unflashy style of play suits the Kings tough style and after a dismal spell in Ohio- he making up ground.
Jonathan Quick rediscovering his excellent form that made him so memorable back in 2012 has also been a major asset. In regular season he looked shaky at the best of times, and for a time his place was under threat to Ben Scrivens (eventually solved by trading him to Edmonton). But Quick has bounced back maginificent and has easily been the most impressive goalie of the playoffs and is rightly ranked 1st overall with a GAA of just 2.81.
The other main feature of this form has been the continued excellence of D-Man Drew Doughty who after a gold medal win with Canada in Sochi, has shown not signs of Olympic hangover. So far in the playoffs is the top ranking defenseman with 17 points (above even PK Subban) and has provided the Kings with a wall at the back and in my view, should be considered an outsider for the Conn Smythe trophy.
So far this Stanley Cup has been the year of the underdogs and it has been one of the most unpredicatbale and exciting races in some time. New York may want a repeat of 1994, but the boys in California have other ideas.
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