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Kings lean on experience through tough times

New York Rangers v Los Angeles Kings

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 08: Dustin Brown #23 of the Los Angeles Kings looks on during a game against the New York Rangers at STAPLES Center on January 08, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

The Los Angeles Kings are in trouble. After winning the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years, they have been wildly inconsistent this season and with half the campaign in the books, they aren’t a safe bet to advance to the playoffs at all.

Los Angeles’ edge on Calgary in the battle for the second Wild Card spot is just one point. While Los Angeles has built a reputation for being a team that steps up in the playoffs, this is still a troubling development as a year ago today, the Kings had an eight-point edge in the battle for a postseason berth.

Injuries have played a role in Los Angeles’ shortcomings and that won’t change anytime soon as the Kings recently lost forwards Tanner Pearson (leg) and Tyler Toffoli (mono). That would be a tough setback for any team, especially one in a tenuous position, but the Kings’ years of success have taught them how to deal with adversity as a group.

“We’ve been through the battles together before,” captain Dustin Brown told LA Kings Insider. “Everybody talks about experience, but what makes our team really good in hard situations is we’ve been in the so-called trenches together and that goes a lot longer way than guys having experience on other teams with other guys. We’ve been together as a group for a very long time. When it gets hard, it’s easier to trust each other.”

The pressure will only build as we get closer to the playoffs, but if anything that should give the Kings an edge against some of their less experienced opponents.

Follow @RyanDadoun