Up until Alec Martinez scored in overtime to send the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup Final, the only team that was being mentioned in the same sentence as the word dynasty were the Chicago Blackhawks. Even in a series where the Kings took a 3-1 lead before the Hawks forced Game 7 all the talk centred on whether or not Chicago was the closest thing to a dynasty in the modern game.
That was before the Kings decided to steal the spotlight, and with it enter their name into the dynasty discussion. It was Martinez again who finished what he had started, giving the Kings something only two other teams have achieved in the 21st century: a second Stanley Cup. Had they been unable to achieve that final step, they would have fallen into the category of the Boston Bruins or Pittsburgh Penguins: close to a modern day dynasty, but with not enough physical evidence to demonstrate.
One of those two-time 21st century Stanley Cup champions is the Detroit Red Wings, whose impressive string of playoff qualifications signal a sort of dynasty of their own. But if the trend is not downwards for the Red Wings at the moment, as they continue to age on paper if not on the ice, it has certainly flat-lined. They haven’t won a Cup since 2008, and it seems unlikely they will do so in the next couple of years which somewhat eliminates them from the discussion.
That leaves the two aforementioned teams: The Chicago Blackhawks and now the Los Angeles Kings. Optically, they are both now at the same stage, each with two cups to their name since 2010. They have also both reached the Conference Final in that time, falling to the other who would ultimately go on to win the cup. More importantly, these two teams have been built to win consistently, not just once.
Since the lockout, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins have won the cup and then dropped out of contention the year after. The Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings have had a bit more success, both reaching a Stanley Cup final shortly after being crowned champions. But both likely now have their best days behind them.
Los Angeles and Chicago, on the other hand, showed just how much long-term promise they have in terms of making them a contender year after year. In Chicago, the playoffs represented a formal coming out party for Brandon Saad, as the 21-year-old scored 6 goals and added 10 assists in 19 games. 25-year-old Ben Smith did not have nearly the same statistics but was also a reflection of the continued quality in the Hawks system.
In California, it was the “that 70’s line” that led the young movement for the Kings. 21-year-old Tanner Pearson had 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points in 24 games. On the other wing, 22-year-old Tyler Toffoli was even better, with 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points. The trio centred by Jeff Carter was a catalyst for success for the Kings throughout the playoffs. On the backend, 25-year-old Jake Muzzin was nothing but brilliant, putting up 6 goals and 6 assists from the blueline.
The household names are not very old either, alluding to several more years of elite play. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are 25 and 26 respectively, already accomplished well beyond their years. Corey Crawford is 29, which means, as a goaltender, he should have several more quality years ahead. Add in Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith, who at 29 and 30 are both in their prime, and the Conference Final loss should hardly make anyone less afraid of Chicago in years to come.
Los Angeles is even more blessed by the fountain of youth than the Hawks. Captain Dustin Brown and Jeff Carter, at 29, are the elder statesman on a roster with a surprisingly young core. Anze Kopitar is only 26, and like Toews in Chicago has emerged as one of the league’s elite two-way forwards. Jonathan Quick, likely the best goaltender currently in the league, is 28. The youngest of the group is Drew Doughty, who at 24 is starting to work his way into the conversation as one of the best ever at his positon.
The cast around these aforementioned returning characters will shift annually, and will ultimately determine whether or not either of them wins another Stanley Cup. But in their respective cores they are guaranteed at least contender status for the next three years, if not longer.
Winning their second Stanley Cup puts the Los Angeles Kings in the centre of a discussion in which they played second fiddle to the Blackhawks for most of the season and playoffs. But it only begins a debate that will play itself out over the next five years.
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