There have been a lot of great stories in and around the NHL this season. One of them is becoming the Los Angeles Kings.
From the Washington Capitals being one of the best teams in the league, to the Winnipeg Jets’ unbelievable start, and Patrik Laine’s great return to the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, there has been no shortage of great things happening in hockey up to this point in the season. Luckily, there is still a lot of hockey left in the season, so that means more positive things will happen along the way.
With that said, one of the best stories in the league right now is the play of the Los Angeles Kings. After defenseman Drew Doughty fractured his ankle in a preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights back on September 25, many people wondered what kind of team the Kings would be this season.
Do not look now, but the Kings are currently one of the best teams in the NHL. As of this writing (Saturday night, December 14), the Kings are second in the Pacific Division, fourth in the Western Conference, and sixth in the league with a record of 18-9-3 for 39 points.
There are several reasons why the Los Angeles Kings are off to a great start this season. For starters, they are one of the best defensive teams in the league.
The Kings are currently (As of Saturday night, December 14) fourth in the league in goals allowed as they have given up 75 goals in 30 games (2.50 goals against per game). The team is also currently first in the league in shots allowed per game as they allow an average of 24 shots (24.5) a game.
This team knows how to backcheck, break up plays in both the defensive and neutral zones, block shots, and protect their goaltenders. What is more is that if the opposition does manage to get a shot through to the net, there is usually a Kings player to clear the rebound right away.
Speaking of keeping the puck out of the net, the Kings are getting good enough goaltending to win hockey games, which is all that matters. Darcy Kuemper, who was traded to the Kings by the Washington Capitals in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois, is off to a solid start this season as he is currently 7-2-0-3 with a 2.27 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage, and one shutout.
The team is also getting decent goaltending from David Rittich. Rittich is currently 10-7 with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage.
Another reason why the Kings are playing so well this season is because their best players are doing what they are supposed to do. Future Hockey Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar is currently leading the team with 34 points (Eight goals and 26 assists).
Kopitar does it all for the Kings. He produces, plays in all situations, comes through in the clutch (He currently has four game-winning goals), and is the consummate professional.
The team has also been getting solid production from other players so far this season. Players like Adrian Kempe (30 points on 15 goals and 15 assists), Alex Laferriere (22 points on 12 goals and 10 assists), Kevin Fiala (18 points on 10 goals and eight assists), Trevor Moore (18 points on six goals and 12 assists), and Warren Foegele (15 points on eight goals and seven assists) have all contributed to the Kings’ early success.
Lastly, a lot of credit has to go to the Kings’ head coach Jim Hiller. Hiller has gotten his club to play responsibly on both sides of the puck and has them playing like a complete team.
With a lot of hockey left to be played and a lot of great teams in the Western Conference, it will be interesting to see how well the Kings do the rest of the way. With that said, there is no doubt that they are a good hockey team that is tough to play against and more importantly, knows how to win hockey games by playing the right way.
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