Kings Are Hockey’s "It" Team
It's been a while since the Kings were a big story in Los Angeles, but those days are back again.
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SUNRISE, FL - NOVEMBER 16: Jack Johnson #3 (center) of the Los Angeles Kings is congratulated after scoring a goal against the Florida Panthers on November 16, 2009 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Kings take a back seat to the Lakers in this town. And the Dodgers. And USC Football. And probably a good cricket test. Hockey has a rabid following, but it has been a long time since it was a big rabid following. Having not even made the playoffs since 2002 didn’t help matters.
But suddenly this year, the Kings are worth watching again.
After years of piling up top draft picks, the talent is starting to break through — the Kings are third in the Western Conference in points and there is a buzz about the squad that is playing exciting hockey. People everywhere in hockey are taking notice.
It starts with Anze Kopitar, who in his fourth season seems to have figured out how to use all that promise and skill. He leads the NHL with 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) — the NHL’s only player from Slovenia is suddenly the focus of feature stories in Canadian papers. The man who has quietly been the Kings best player is now one of the best in the league and getting noticed.
He’s the kind of player you want to go see. And this is the kind of team that is fun to see.
Last season the Kings were 28th in the league in goals scored, so far they are third. They get a lot of power play opportunities — the 93 they have had so far this season are more than any other team in the NHL.
Goalie Jonathan Quick has been solid in net, giving the Kings the chance to be more aggressive in front of him than they have been in recent years. And he has them winning shootouts (like the last two games against Florida and Tampa Bay).
This team is not yet consistent – there was that ugly 7-0 loss to Atlanta everyone is trying to erase from their memory — and they are not ready to knock Pittsburgh off the pedestal yet (although they did beat the Penguins 5-2 a couple weeks ago).
But this team is worth watching, and is poised to just get better. The days of a full Staples Center and celebrities on the glass seem to be back. The only question is, Can Cuba Gooding Jr. still afford those good seats?
