The Los Angeles Kings have earned a spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
While the opponent is still not known at this time, it is a great accomplishment for a team that struggled mid-season.
The Kings have a veteran lineup capable of doing great things, but are they up for the challenge as the playoffs grow closer?
Kings Look to Make Noise in A Deep Playoff Run
Los Angeles has a record of 43-27-11 for 97 points and is safely in the third spot in the Pacific Division. This is the position they have been at for most of the season, with the occasional move up and down. They have been able to bounce back from a shaky December and January to secure a spot in the playoffs. This has been a team effort to turn this around, and they have received contributions throughout the lineup and between the pipes.
This is the third straight season Los Angeles has made the playoffs. The Kings have 32 playoff appearances in 56 seasons and have won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014. The Kings have an all-time playoff record of 116-152, with much success in the early 1990s and a bit since 2012. This team did not make a move at the trade deadline, but no move was necessary as the team has four great lines, a top-six defensive pairing that can do a little of everything, and two capable goaltenders worthy of stealing a playoff round by themselves.
While the opposition for the first round has not been announced, the odds favor the Edmonton Oilers as the team the Kings will face. If this sounds familiar, it is. The Oilers are responsible for the Kings being eliminated over the past few seasons. While those series have gone to Edmonton, Los Angeles has played them as tight as anyone in the league. Edmonton is the likely choice, but the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks are also possibilities for the first-round opponents of the Kings. The Kings are 17-32 all-time against the Oilers in the playoffs.
The Kings and Head Coach Jim Hiller are heading into the playoffs as a confident but well-aware group. While Los Angeles does not have Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, or Igor Shesterkin, they do play as a team and can win low-scoring, close games because of their team game.
The playoffs are a different game, and the Kings are up to the challenge. They come into the playoffs as an underdog, which they have done before, regardless of the opponent.
Los Angeles is prepared for anything and everything in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, with everything on the line.
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