All of a sudden, the Western Conference’s wild card picture is muddy and congested.
At 54 standings points, the Los Angeles Kings are in the playoffs as of right now, but their margin of error is tiny:
Kings - 54 points in 50 games
Blues - 53 in 50
Flames - 53 in 52
Canucks - 52 in 50
Stars - 52 in 51
Jets - 52 in 53
Yeah, that’s not much breathing room. Wit the Avalanche quite clearly weighing in as the NHL’s worst team (at least at the moment), this is one of those nights the Kings could really regret if they don’t come to play.
With the Pacific’s top three teams 8-10 points ahead of the Kings, it’s all about Los Angeles holding off the other bubble teams. Every night counts, even against lesser opponents like Colorado.
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