There were three key games in the NHL Western Conference playoff race last night, all of which played a huge role in their teams’ post-season dreams. Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Kings, that dream turned out to be a nightmare, as a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks combined with victories by the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames has last season’s champs once again on the outside looking in at a playoff spot.
Last night’s win puts the Canucks at 93 points, while the Flames kept pace and have 91 points. However, they both pulled ahead of the Kings, who remain stuck on 88 points after two consecutive losses. L.A. and Vancouver both have six games left; Calgary has just five. According to sportsclubstats.com, last night saw the Kings take a devastating 17.6% hit in their odds of making the playoffs.
Kings Lose Ground on Key Night In West Playoff Race
Against the Hawks, things just didn’t go L.A.’s way all night. Two Chicago goals in just over a minute during the second period put the Kings in a hole, and a third period goal by Marian Hossa (while we’re at it, just how weak did LA’s defense and goalie Jonathan Quick look on that one? You can’t give up the blueline so easily to a player of Hossa’s stature) ultimately sunk their chances for two points…and maybe their invitation to the dance as well.
The Kings have been fighting for their playoff lives for weeks now, and after losing to the Minnesota Wild a couple of nights ago, they really needed this one. Their five-game road trip back east did end up with a successful 3-2 record, but with only half a dozen games to go, those two losses now seem paramount. They’re back home now for two games against the Edmonton Oilers and the Colorado Avalanche so all is not lost yet, but with the way the Canucks and Flames have been playing lately, it might not matter.
The Canucks have quietly been one of the hottest teams in the NHL over the last month, losing just five times in regulation in their last 18 games (for comparison’s sake, the Kings have seven regulation losses in their last 17 – it’s not much of a difference, but when just a few points separate clubs heading into April, it’s huge).
Vancouver continued their hot streak last night with a massive victory over the St. Louis Blues to kick-off a four-game road trip. The Canucks have been riding the hot hand of goaltender Eddie Lack, who is having an outstanding sophomore season filling in for the injured Ryan Miller, while coach Willie Desjardins has had the luxury of rolling four lines that can all contribute. Five points up on the Kings with six games to go, last night provided the team with a bit of breathing room in a breathless race.
Meanwhile, Calgary did what they do best and are proving they are worthy of their reputation as comeback kids. Down 2-1 against Dallas last night after a first period in which they managed just five shots on goal, they were able to turn things up in the second, potting three goals, including the eventual game-winner by super-rookie Johnny Gaudreau. It may not always been pretty (they managed only four shots during the third period against the Stars), but the Flames are continuing to get it done down the stretch as well, as they posted a very strong 9-3-3 record in March.
So, where does that leave the Kings? The 2014 Cup champs are by no means out of the race yet, though last night’s results were certainly a big blow to the club. Is the team simply out of gas? It’s a valid theory. Two long playoff runs plus a trip to the Sochi Olympics for most of the team’s stars in recent years has to take a toll (not to mention scratching and clawing their way through the last few regular seasons, as they are wont to do). These are humans after all, no matter how well-conditioned they may be, so fatigue simply must be a factor.
That said, the Kings still have a very real opportunity to secure a playoff seed. While most of the focus has been on the Pacific Division race, the Kings actually have a better chance of beating out the Winnipeg Jets at this point for the final wildcard spot (the Jets have 90 points to the Kings 88).
Additionally, of their six remaining games, two are against Edmonton, and one each against the Avalanche and the San Jose Sharks. Those aren’t exactly “gimmie” games, but they are valuable opportunities to earn some desperately needed points.
More important than anything though, the Kings have a game left against both the Canucks and the Flames when they take a quick swing through Western Canada a week from now. April 6th in Vancouver and April 9th in Calgary will be the key games in the Western Conference playoff race, and the outcome of those two games will ultimately spell whether the Kings punch their post-season ticket, where they would have as good a chance as anybody of making it out of the Western Conference playoff bracket, or if they get sent home early for a summer of wondering just what happened.
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