The Kings’ first-round playoff series is heading north of the border to Edmonton on Friday, and if they encounter customs agents who are Oilers fans, it might prove difficult for the boys in black and silver to get 3,200 ounces of “Juice” into Canada.
Adrian Kempe, a 200-pound forward known simply as “Juice” since his impactful minor-league postseason run a decade ago, is leading the entire NHL in scoring during these playoffs. His seven points in two games have given the Kings a 2-0 series lead against the archrival Oilers, who defenestrated them three years in a row. He’s paced the Kings in scoring in each of his four postseasons, both in bear and bull markets for the roster offensively.
Last season, he scored four of the 10 goals by Kings forwards in a five-game, opening-round loss to Edmonton, and this year he’s been the leading cause of an eruption that’s seen the Kings score a dozen goals in two games, including five on the power play. Not only are his 26 points (12 goals) tops by a mile on the Kings in these four postseason matchups (20 games) with Edmonton, but they trail only Oilers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl among all players in the simmering feud.
“Playoffs are the most fun, so that’s where I want to be playing my best game and be at the highest level that I can,” Kempe said. “It brings extra excitement before every game. The regular season is really important but playoffs are where I really enjoy playing.”
After Wednesday night’s 6-2 win in Game 2, Kings coach Jim Hiller took the focus off Kempe and put it onto his line, with steadfast captain Anže Kopitar and a newcomer with some electricity of his own, Andrei Kuzmenko. The trio has combined for a staggering 17 points, with Kopitar distancing himself from a midseason lull and Kuzmenko finding a home after being fostered in Calgary and Philadelphia earlier in 2024-25.
But there was little doubt in the mind of Kopitar as to who was driving the bus.
“(Kempe) is an unbelievable player. He’s one of the most underrated players league-wide,” Kopitar said. “He’s huge for us during the regular season, he usually carries us in scoring and all that. But in playoff time, he’s got that little edge to him that he plays with, and it’s very encouraging and also very contagious throughout the lineup.”
Yet between his splashy arrival in the minors and his 35-goal breakout season in 2021-22, Kempe spent the better part of five campaigns displaying more potential than production and often offered more consternation than constancy.
“It’s hard when you’re playing in the bottom six to score as much,” Kempe said. “Overall, I tried to work on becoming as consistent as possible throughout my first couple years. When the coaches saw me do that, I got to play a bigger role and more minutes, and that’s when I started to score more.”
“The skill has always been there – the skating ability, the shot and all that stuff – ever since I got drafted. Just trying to do it on a consistent basis was my main focus and that’s what took me to the next level. Now, I try to ramp up my game for every playoff.”
Kempe’s establishment as a star coincided with the Kings’ own emergence from obscurity, as in 2021-22 when they returned to the playoffs after a shrewd offseason that saw them add a pair of fellow Swedes – Kempe came from the same program that produced Hall of Fame talents like Peter Forsberg and the Sedin Twins – in Alex Edler and Viktor Arvidsson. The summer of ’21 also signaled the arrival of Game 1 hero Phillip Danault.
“When Danault and myself came, it took a little bit of a load off Kempe, and it let him move from center to wing,” said Arvidsson, now with Edmonton. “When I got there, he was on the third line. Then, he started playing with Kopitar and they found chemistry with Kempe on the wing. I think that took some of the load off him so he could focus more on his speed and on his offensive game.”
In addition to Kempe’s offensive prowess, he’s been an integral component defensively and even played some on the back end at different points during his tenure. The Kings’ defensemen by trade as well as their coaches lauded his efforts in the checking game, too.
“It’s remarkable. He’s able to execute every little play,” teammate Brandt Clarke said. “He gets on the scoresheet, he makes big plays, but he also (performs) every little detail properly. He’s the first one back all the time and every little thing he does is so crisp.”
Clarke’s partner on the blue line, Joel Edmundson, won a Stanley Cup title with St. Louis in 2019 and went to the Cup Final again with Montreal in 2021, having witnessed no shortage of playoff excellence along the way.
“(Kempe) has got that silent swagger. He’s not the most vocal guy, but once he gets on the ice, he turns into a different person, and it’s fun to watch,” Edmundson said. “He’s a heck of a player. I was in the East for the longest time, so I didn’t get to see too much of him. Being on his team now, he’s definitely an underrated player in this league.”
Game 3: KINGS AT EDMONTON
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta
TV/radio: TNT, truTV, MAX, FDSN West