The Los Angeles Kings enter the All-Star Break feeling pretty good about themselves. However they’re facing one of the most important decisions of their season leading up to the Mar 3 NHL Trade Deadline. This decision will have lasting ramifications for many seasons to come.
Quietly, the Kings are one of the best teams in the Western Conference. They have a chance to not only win the Pacific Division, they could make a run for first in the West. GM Rob Blake and staff deserve credit for the team they’re building.
But if you watched the Kings in their last game before the break, you knew something was missing with them. That missing element has been following them all season. This time it reared its ugly head at the worst possible time.
The Kings needed saves. Tuesday night in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Kings didn’t get the saves they needed. They blew a 4-1 lead as a result. They wasted a four-goal second period and didn’t find two points.
Kings Deadline Plans
While teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers have been seen all over the rumor mill in recent weeks, the same can be said for the Kings. They’ve been reportedly in on every available left-handed defenseman.
However after Tuesday night’s meltdown, one thing became clear. If the Kings are to make something good out of this season, they must address the crease. Luckily for them, they have some juicy options available.
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First, a quick recap. See what I did there? The Kings’ goaltending situation has been inconsistent. They’ve done well enough to be in the playoff race. But then there are maddening moments where it feels like they’ll never figure things out.
One look at the season numbers tells the whole story.
- Jonathan Quick: 8-12-0 record, 3.41 goals-against average, .881 save percentage.
- Pheonix Copley: 15-3-1 record, 2.92 goals-against average, .897 save percentage.
Copley has had the better performance, but sub .900 goaltending isn’t going to get teams very far in the playoffs. This doesn’t include the demotion of Cal Petersen from earlier this season.
The Kings are tied in points with the Seattle Kraken at the top of the Pacific Division. They trail the Dallas Stars by three for best in the West. Not only do the Kings need to address their goaltending, they must make it their number-one priority. There’s a team and a situation that is perfect for them to take advantage…
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