#LAKings Kings looking like a playoff team as they face back-to-back games next (Daily News)
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The Kings will step into their first back-to-back set in a month having won their last four games and six of their previous seven, a surge that catapulted them to second place in the Pacific Division.
They will face the Sharks in San Jose on Monday and then host the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. The Kings held two one-goal leads in their match at Tampa Bay on Dec. 14 but ultimately fell in overtime.
Since then, the Kings have won eight of 11 games and they have not lost another game in which they have held a lead. They are 6-0-0 this season when leading at the first intermission, and 15-2-3 when leading after two periods. Theyve already held more leads through 40 minutes this season (20) than they did in all of last season (16).
Weve learned to shut down third periods and win the game that way, which is huge, said defenseman Drew Doughty, adding that he felt the Kings were a playoff team.
The Kings 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken Saturday saw captain Anze Kopitar extend his point streak to three games in which he has five points, while his linemate Adrian Kempe stretched his string to four games with at least a point, including three goals. Kempe entered COVID protocols on Sunday, meaning the Kings could be without his services for the back-to-back as well as Thursdays game against Colorado.
Against Seattle, forward Trevor Moore turned in his third straight multipoint outing and his fourth in his last six games, over which he had 11 points. He ranks sixth in the NHL in scoring since Jan. 1. Heading into the new year, Moore had seven points in 32 games.
Kings coach Todd McLellan said that Moore, who was an offensive star at the University of Denver, entered a Toronto Maple Leafs system crowded with offensive-minded players. Moore had to develop other areas of his game that would allow him to stick in a grittier, more detail-oriented role. Meshing his experience as a scoring threat with his stints in bottom-six roles has made Moore a dependable player with a comprehensive game since arriving in Los Angeles in 2020.
We were aware of his college career; we knew that he was very capable there of playing in the top six and providing offense, McLellan said. But he always had a tenacity and he had the ability to play other areas of the game.
He added: Our players, to a man, have a ton of respect for Trevor, and they should, he earns it every night.
Goalie Cal Petersen won his third straight decision since going over a month without making an appearance, having made 60 of 62 saves in 2022. He and Jonathan Quick will likely split the two-game set against San Jose and Tampa Bay.
The Kings have made a habit of stifling opposing stars. During their four-game winning streak, they have kept seven of the eight players who ranked in the top two in scoring on opposing teams off the scoresheet. Only Kris Letang of the Penguins managed to score on the Kings, an unusual goal from below the goal line. Meanwhile Pittsburghs future hall of fame centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were held scoreless along with their leading scorer Jake Guentzel.
You see the star players on other teams getting frustrated and yelling at us like, What kind of system are you playing? We just eat that up, we love frustrating the other teams. I know from talking to players after we play them, its a hard night every time they come to play the L.A. Kings.
Like the Kings and Ducks, San Jose has been part of a turnaround of California clubs. After being beacons of success and consistency in the 2010s, all three teams fan bases suffered through the past two seasons. This year, San Jose has clawed its way back into the playoff picture. If the season had ended on Saturday, all three franchises would have qualified for the postseason.
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Despite a seemingly infinite stream of drama that has led to the absence of winger Evander Kane he led the Sharks in goals, assists, points and shots on goal last season the Sharks have improved considerably this season. Forwards Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl have stepped into expanded roles and paced the team in scoring. Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson have recaptured some of the magic from the years when they were the two most offensively dangerous defensemen in the league.
For Tampa, their Stanley Cup-winning core remains intact. Since recovering from a lower-body injury that required surgery, right wing Nikita Kucherov has displayed the form that let him sweep the scoring title, MVP and MOP races in 2019. He has accumulated four multipoint performances in five games, including a hat trick, racking up nine points in five games since his return. Team captain Steven Stamkos leads the Lightning in scoring. Former Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedmans 40 points in as many games have him on track to surpass his career high of 72 points from the 2016-17 campaign.
Kings at San Jose
When: 1 p.m. Monday
Where: SAP Arena
TV/Radio: Bally Sports West/iHeartRadio
Tampa Bay at Kings
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/Radio: Bally Sports West/iHeartRadio (English)/Tu Liga 1330 (Spanish)
https://www.dailynews.com/2022/01/16...ck-games-next/
They will face the Sharks in San Jose on Monday and then host the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. The Kings held two one-goal leads in their match at Tampa Bay on Dec. 14 but ultimately fell in overtime.
Since then, the Kings have won eight of 11 games and they have not lost another game in which they have held a lead. They are 6-0-0 this season when leading at the first intermission, and 15-2-3 when leading after two periods. Theyve already held more leads through 40 minutes this season (20) than they did in all of last season (16).
Weve learned to shut down third periods and win the game that way, which is huge, said defenseman Drew Doughty, adding that he felt the Kings were a playoff team.
The Kings 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken Saturday saw captain Anze Kopitar extend his point streak to three games in which he has five points, while his linemate Adrian Kempe stretched his string to four games with at least a point, including three goals. Kempe entered COVID protocols on Sunday, meaning the Kings could be without his services for the back-to-back as well as Thursdays game against Colorado.
Against Seattle, forward Trevor Moore turned in his third straight multipoint outing and his fourth in his last six games, over which he had 11 points. He ranks sixth in the NHL in scoring since Jan. 1. Heading into the new year, Moore had seven points in 32 games.
Kings coach Todd McLellan said that Moore, who was an offensive star at the University of Denver, entered a Toronto Maple Leafs system crowded with offensive-minded players. Moore had to develop other areas of his game that would allow him to stick in a grittier, more detail-oriented role. Meshing his experience as a scoring threat with his stints in bottom-six roles has made Moore a dependable player with a comprehensive game since arriving in Los Angeles in 2020.
We were aware of his college career; we knew that he was very capable there of playing in the top six and providing offense, McLellan said. But he always had a tenacity and he had the ability to play other areas of the game.
He added: Our players, to a man, have a ton of respect for Trevor, and they should, he earns it every night.
Goalie Cal Petersen won his third straight decision since going over a month without making an appearance, having made 60 of 62 saves in 2022. He and Jonathan Quick will likely split the two-game set against San Jose and Tampa Bay.
The Kings have made a habit of stifling opposing stars. During their four-game winning streak, they have kept seven of the eight players who ranked in the top two in scoring on opposing teams off the scoresheet. Only Kris Letang of the Penguins managed to score on the Kings, an unusual goal from below the goal line. Meanwhile Pittsburghs future hall of fame centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were held scoreless along with their leading scorer Jake Guentzel.
You see the star players on other teams getting frustrated and yelling at us like, What kind of system are you playing? We just eat that up, we love frustrating the other teams. I know from talking to players after we play them, its a hard night every time they come to play the L.A. Kings.
Like the Kings and Ducks, San Jose has been part of a turnaround of California clubs. After being beacons of success and consistency in the 2010s, all three teams fan bases suffered through the past two seasons. This year, San Jose has clawed its way back into the playoff picture. If the season had ended on Saturday, all three franchises would have qualified for the postseason.
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- Kings leave the comforts of home for Seattle
- Surging Kings cool Penguins with third-period flurry
- Kings Adrian Kempe makes 1st All-Star team; Doughty, Kopitar snubbed
- Kings to wrap up solid homestand vs. red-hot Penguins
Despite a seemingly infinite stream of drama that has led to the absence of winger Evander Kane he led the Sharks in goals, assists, points and shots on goal last season the Sharks have improved considerably this season. Forwards Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl have stepped into expanded roles and paced the team in scoring. Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson have recaptured some of the magic from the years when they were the two most offensively dangerous defensemen in the league.
For Tampa, their Stanley Cup-winning core remains intact. Since recovering from a lower-body injury that required surgery, right wing Nikita Kucherov has displayed the form that let him sweep the scoring title, MVP and MOP races in 2019. He has accumulated four multipoint performances in five games, including a hat trick, racking up nine points in five games since his return. Team captain Steven Stamkos leads the Lightning in scoring. Former Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedmans 40 points in as many games have him on track to surpass his career high of 72 points from the 2016-17 campaign.
Kings at San Jose
When: 1 p.m. Monday
Where: SAP Arena
TV/Radio: Bally Sports West/iHeartRadio
Tampa Bay at Kings
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/Radio: Bally Sports West/iHeartRadio (English)/Tu Liga 1330 (Spanish)
https://www.dailynews.com/2022/01/16...ck-games-next/