Anze Kopitar

Rob Blake Saga: Part II

Following a disappointing conclusion to the 2016 season, the Los Angeles Kings were reaching a pivotal fork in the road about the franchise’s direction. The acquisition of Milan Lucic over the offseason set the bar high in regard to the expectations from the fan base. This offseason, the King’s big splash was the pivot from […]

Farewell, Alex Iafallo: An Anomaly in the System

The 2016-17 Season was disastrous for the LA Kings. The team came off a stunning first-round exit via the San Jose Sharks from Dean Lombardi’s final push for a third cup. The primary acquisition, Milan Lucic, walked away in free agency to the Edmonton Oilers. Vincent Lecavalier retired off into the sunset. The Kings finished […]

It Is Too Early to Give Up on Quinton Byfield?

Amidst trade rumors surrounding Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings, many have speculated that the trade for the 25-year-old center out of Winnipeg was spurred by the lack of development surrounding former 2nd overall pick Quinton Byfield. The Kings have one of the deeper center cores in the league, with Kopitar and Danault headlining […]

Anze Kopitar Captures Second Career Lady Byng Trophy

Los Angeles Kings captain and longtime forward Anze Kopitar has won the Lady Byng Trophy for the second time in his career. The Lady Byng Trophy is awarded to the player who has exhibited the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct and holds their play to a high standard. Kopitar, who turns 36 in August, has […]

Pierre-Luc Dubois in a Winnipeg Jets uniform doing the Superman Celly after a goal.

Rumor Mill spikes as LA Kings linked to Winnipeg Jets

Following a conclusion to the season that did not end as planned again in Winnipeg, talks are heating up about breaking up their core. It is no secret that teams are willing to part ways with high-quality players in today’s NHL when sustained underachievement occurs. A lot has left to be desired from the Jets […]

Questions Ahead as Championship Duo Enters Pivotal 23-24 Season

The formidable ‘Holy Trinity’ in hockey is a team that covets a: world-class goaltender, defenseman, and centerman. It is a recipe that has a proven track record, with the 2012-14 championship era LA Kings as a perfect example. They weren’t a juggernaut regular season team but were systematic in a seven-game series. The Kings won […]

A Sunrise, or Sunset for the LA Kings: The Aftermath

For the second year in a row, the LA Kings have been bounced out of the playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers. It took six games, three of which went to overtime, for the Oilers to advance to play the Vegas Golden Knights. In many ways, this series was a disappointment, regardless of the uphill climb […]

Inside The Rink | DataDrivenHockey Daily NHL Game Predictions

NHL Predictions/Gambling Analytics for April 25th

Welcome to the daily NHL probabilities update. Here you can find win probabilities for each of the day’s NHL games, as well as player-level goal-scoring, point-producing, and “Top Threat” probabilities. These probabilities are calculated via the datadrivenhockey game simulation model, GPM1. Information about the model and links to get access to even more model outputs […]

Oilers Playoffs: Round 1 – Game 4 Preview

Even though every sports fan is slightly biased, I try not to be THAT fan. However, it is admittedly hard to preview the next playoff game without mentioning the elephant… I mean, hockey stick in the room. The Edmonton Oilers are swallowing yet another tough loss. Gabriel Vilardi’s high stick before the OT winner is […]

Line Over the Boards: Resiliency to a Tee

The Edmonton Oilers are clear-cut favorites in a series where the LA Kings, while threatening a Pacific, and Western Conference title, lost steam and traction when losing four key players to injuries. The Oilers, meanwhile, maintained their steam and traction, holding the best record in the NHL since Jan 1st. The Mattias Ekholm trade, Stuart […]