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Gauging Kings’ chances for a Cinderella run

cinderellakingsgetty

James

The Los Angeles Kings are one win away from sweeping the Vancouver Canucks, which would make them the third team to do so to the Presidents’ Trophy winner. It’s not as if the Canucks are rolling over, either; they just haven’t had much luck cracking the Kings’ code. Even a 3-0 series lead isn’t a guarantee for future success, but it’s irresistible not to at least ponder Los Angeles’ chances of making a deep playoff run.

So, with that in mind, here are some big reasons why they can do it and one big reason why they might not.

No juggernaut

Looking up at the higher seeds, you can’t blame the Kings for not feeling too intimidated. The St. Louis Blues got back into their series with the San Jose Sharks, yet Los Angeles brings virtually the same strengths to the table as the Blues. It’s unlikely that Los Angeles would be all that intimidated by the thought of facing the Phoenix Coyotes in the semifinals, either; in fact, the biggest worries could come if they face either the Nashville Predators or the Detroit Red Wings.

Jonathan Quick

Depending upon whom you ask, Quick may just hold the trump card over every West goalie not named Pekka Rinne. As you’ve probably heard a lot of times in your hockey-loving life, a hot netminder can make all the difference.

Strong defense

The Predators, Blues and Coyotes could manage a strong counterargument, but the Kings have a defense that can stack up with any in the NHL. That’s especially true now that Drew Doughty is back to the form that made him the most promising young defenseman in ages. Beyond Doughty, Los Angeles has solid lesser-known offensive defensemen such as Slava Voynov and strong stay-at-home types like Willie Mitchell. There aren’t many soft spots in that lineup.

Improved offense

The Kings aren’t likely to blow many teams out, but the Jeff Carter trade gives their offense a respectable added dimension. It’s not just the Anze Kopitar line doing all the work now, as Carter, Mike Richards and Dustin Brown can pitch in. On paper, that offense probably edges out the defense-first groups like Phoenix, St. Louis and Nashville - though that doesn’t mean it actually will work out that way.

A Sutter edge

The Kings hold some interesting similarities to the Flames team that Darryl Sutter pushed to within one win of a Stanley Cup. There’s more talent in Los Angeles, but both squads fought their way into lower seeds and then combined timely scoring, tight defense and great goaltending to become an imposing upset force. Sutter the coach > Sutter the GM, as we’ve seen quite clearly.

The glass half-empty approach

Still, the Kings aren’t perfect. The No. 1 area of concern is still scoring. Los Angeles only seems to have a “grind it out” gear, which could bog them down in the long run. Fighting tooth-and-nail is fine in the playoffs, but every now and then, it’s nice to score some “easy” goals. Depending upon matchups, offense may still be the Kings’ fatal flaw.
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Sure, it won’t be pretty, but it seems like the Kings might just have the makeup for a deep run. What do you think of their chances?