May 30, 2013
Detroit Red Wings reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2009 one year after winning it all in 2008. It seems like the Kings have just about beaten the infamous Cup hangover and have the luxury of waiting for their conference final opponent with the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings facing off in Game 7 on Wednesday night.
This year’s postseason run has taken on a very different look for Los Angeles though. In 2012, LA went a remarkable 12-2 on an impressive advance to the Stanley Cup Finals series against the New Jersey Devils. The eighth seed brushed aside the Vancouver Canucks, St Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes on a seemingly unstoppable advance.
The 2013 playoffs have been far less a story of dominance. However, it has only gone to show off all of the attributes that make this Kings’ roster such a fierce some opponent in the postseason.
They’ve battled past St Louis and the San Jose Sharks winning the two series by a combined 8-5 in games. They should be expecting another extremely tough series against whoever emerges from the Chicago-Detroit series.
Not only has each series been tough, but individual games have been extremely challenging. LA hasn’t enjoyed the offensive explosion that they did in 2012. They’ve scored just 26 goals in 13 games winning. 11 of those 13 games have been decided by just one goal. The other two games were a 2-0 win over San Jose in Game 1 and a 3-0 win in Game 5.
A big factor has been the play of goaltender Jonathan Quick, who struggled somewhat for consistency during the regular season. He has posted a .948 save percentage and 1.50 GAA so far through the postseason. Quick’s play is officially back at elite level.
The Kings are still waiting for their offensive players to emerge. Anze Kopitar has just seven points in 13 games, Dustin Brown has just three goals and one assist, Justin Williams has just four goals despite scoring twice in Game 7 against the Sharks. Mike Richards leads the way with 10 points in 13 games, while Jeff Carter leads the team with five goals.
LA may need to find more offense in the conference finals. However, they’ve shown that the x-factor is finding a way to win, whether it is grinding out four home wins against San Jose, or winning four straight against St Louis after falling in a 2-0 hole.
The Kings have extra rest over their conference final opponent. They could still have the ever important home ice advantage if Detroit wins in Game 7. This is a serious Stanley Cup defense and it won’t be easy for any of LA’s remaining opponents to take the title from them.
