It’s not too early to start looking at how many points it might take to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. Last season, it took 91. That’s measured by taking the point total of the ninth-place team, and adding one point. In 2008-09, it took 90 points. In 2007-08, it took 89. In 2006-07, it took 96. In 2005-06, it took 93.
What’s the magic number going to be this season? Based on projections, right now it’s 93. If the NHL decided to end the regular season right now, and simply project the rest of the standings based on teams’ current point-per-game averages, here’s how the final conference standings would look.
1 Vancouver, 114.5
2. Detroit, 109.3
3. Dallas, 107.6
4. Nashville, 102.5
5. Phoenix, 95.4
6. Chicago, 93.7
7. Anaheim, 93.3
8. Colorado, 92.3
—–
9. San Jose, 92.0
10. Minnesota, 90.5
11. St. Louis, 89.0
12. Kings, 87.1
13. Columbus, 87.1
14. Calgary, 83.7
15. Edmonton, 62.8
The Kings have 34 games remaining, starting tonight. Under the theory that 93 would be the “safe” number, the Kings would need 42 points in their final 34 games to reach 93 points, the equivalent of a 21-13-0 record. That would seem to be a minimum. Today, Anze Kopitar set the number at 95, stressing the importance of piling up wins, quickly…
KOPITAR: “Right now, it doesn’t really matter where we are — at home or on the road — or whether it’s before the break or after the break. They’re all important. We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole, and now we’ve got to climb out of it. We’ve got to win games. There’s no secret to it. You’ve got to be around 95 points, probably, to make the playoffs in this conference, and that’s what we’ve got to shoot for. I think everybody, in their minds, has it broken down, how many wins we’re going to need to get there, and we’ve got to do it. That’s just the bottom line.”
Never tell me the odds…
[Reply]
Ike Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
@RabidZiggy, Lol
[Reply]
Paul G Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
@RabidZiggy, easy there Han Solo
[Reply]
Nice breakdown Rich. There is still hope, but Kings need to stay consistent with the effort. I think the biggest key will be the goalies. Their play was strong at the start of the season and the shots against continue to stay low and one of the best in the league. So, to me, the biggest difference has been the goaltending. Oh and keeping up the physical play which has been good lately.
[Reply]
I want my pops and I want them now…
50 wins to be sure you’re in…
25-9 record…
Team has the talent to do that.
Get your act together, NOW.
[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
…Call it “The Drive For 25″.
[Reply]
Dominick Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, I believe 95 will be the cut off. To reach that we need a .647 win percentage at the very least, everything else is gravy.
[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:38 pm
@Dominick,
I’m greedy.
It’s going to be hard to even look at the standings in the next few weeks unless the kings go at least, AT LEAST, 7-3 in their next 10. Otherwise, forget the standings unless you want to know how close to last we are…
[Reply]
They should projected their points before going 2-6 on the 8 game homestand. Maybe that would have motivated them.. =\
[Reply]
Not going to happen lol it’s too late
[Reply]
jet Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
@Michael, how fat is your wallet?
[Reply]
Michael Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
@jet, Double what you can bet me
[Reply]
lafan13 Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
@Michael,
we’re 4 points out of the playoffs today…. with 34 games left in the season…
thats just silly to think its “too late”
[Reply]
spidey35 Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
@lafan13,
I hate to say that I said the season was over after the St Louis game. Being 4 points out of a playoff spot isn’t the problem, the problem is that we need to win games and the other teams above us need to lose.
Don’t get me wrong, I would love for this team to make me eat my words and make the playoffs. I just don’t see the consistency for winning.
[Reply]
Michael Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
@spidey35, thank you couldn’t have said it any better
DLB Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
@spidey35, the odds being slimmer do not equate to the season being over.
Since the teams in the fight for the final spots will play each other quite a bit in the final stretch, some will be able to separate themselves — others won’t.
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
@Michael,
This oughta be fun…
Consistency is definitely the issue. OFFENSIVE consistency is definitely the issue, to be more precise.
This is not a matter of the schedule, home or away or one team versus another…
Stay off your duffs, boys!
To Quote Barry White:
Get Up
Stay Up
MOVE UP…
[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
…Okay, no caps…
_Offensive
_Move Up
[Reply]
21-13-0 is definitely do-able. But jumping the teams between us and the 8th spot is the issue.
[Reply]
lafan13 Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:45 pm
@KingTrojan,
Need to realize, if we do indeed go 21-13 to finish the year….
alot of those teams we will beat for the 21 wins, ARE infact west coast teams, that are ahead of us in the playoff race…. Wins against teams like that are acully worth 4 points to the kings…. 2 for winning, and 2 (special makebelive points) since the opponent didnt win.
[Reply]
Michael J. Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
@lafan13,
Nothing wrong with your 4 point theory, it’s the same way the government “saves” our tax dollars!
[Reply]
I think the failure on this last homestand will keep us on the outside looking in.
[Reply]
It seems like a bit of a stretch. I hate to be negative, I freakin LOVE this team, but I feel I’m being realistic. I know we’ve put up those kind of numbers before, but that was at our best, and it wasn’ in the second half of the season. It’s going to be much harder to win from now on as teams really tighten up. That said, no one would love to see it more than me though!!! LETS GO KINGS!!!
P.S. You do great work Mr. Hammond, thank you.
[Reply]
With the conference as tight as it is right now 95 is a way safe number I would say that a team may very well get in with 90 points or less. The teams that are battling all play each other and will be taking points from each other. There is no real separation from 5th to 12th, the kings are 4 points out right now and can make it 2 with a win tonight. The reality is this team still has a great chance to be a playoff team and don’t forget the kings played better on the road last year than at home so the big road trip may be a blessing.
[Reply]
Dominick Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
@Kool-aid mixer, I agree the safe # is 95. The Eastern Conferance would of had to take more games from the West to make up the difference in lower #’rs to qualify for the playoffs, for instance the lower #’rs needed to make the playoffs in the East with Philly, and Montreal last season. St.Louis , and Anahiem actually had better #’rs but didn’t qualify for a seeding prtly because the west did better against the east head to head. The #’rs are favored to the west again this season in east west match ups so 90 might work for the east, but I doubt it will for the west.
[Reply]
It’s weird, looking at te record we need to have to get 95 points it loooks pretty tough. But looking at the fact we are only 4 pts out of 8th now looks so much easier to handle. I say we focus on the latter of the two figures.
[Reply]
All the Kings ever needed to do is play 30 seconds of each shift in the offensive zone. It’s that easy.
[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
@Token,
…Oh. Score occasionally, also.
[Reply]
CiscoC Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
@Token,
You can do anything for 30 seconds.
[Reply]
the_guv Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
@CiscoC, P90x Baby!!
[Reply]
only 6 out of 34 games left are against East. After today game there are 5 left on February tour (3 games in 4 night against Penguins, Capitals and Flyers and then both NY teams) Other 28 games are against conference teams – so all the games are 4 points somehow. It is cruicial to win this last two games at home as then we are away from Staples till Feb 24 – and we play 10 games on road.
[Reply]
I think the Kings will make the playoffs by winning the last regular season game in a shootout. then they will make it to the finals and win the Cup. haha.
[Reply]
Once upon a time, long long ago, A los angeles hockey team went 10 1 and oh. All were happy and all were grateful, for twas a time in los angeles sports that basketball was not the only sport successful, day after day, game after game, it was quite certain that the Los Angeles team was gaining some fame, but shortly after came 8 cold lonely nights, the los angeles team could no longer put on a fight, not a single consistent scorer anywhere in sight, this teams future was no longer looking so bright.
[Reply]
Sebastian Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
@Michael, this is the worst fairy tale i have ever read.
[Reply]
Player-X Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
@Sebastian, what a nice thing to say. I appreciate the effort from Michael, he’s just having fun.
[Reply]
Michael Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
@Sebastian, lol lets see if we can update this at the end of the season to have a happy ending
[Reply]
Ravens Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:29 pm
@Michael, Wow,,you should write childrens books, make feel all nice and cozy before they go to sleep!!
[Reply]
Just get the 4 possible points before the All star break and go from there
[Reply]
Feels more like the drive for the best draft pick.
[Reply]
Hey Rich, question.
Was noticing that the current roster of Anze’s home town professional hockey team has a couple of ex Monarches on it, what could be the connection there?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acroni_Jesenice
[Reply]
Does anyone know how many games we left against these teams? Those are “4″ point games and you can lose a few more of the others, just not the ones against the teams you are chasing.
6. Chicago, 93.7
7. Anaheim, 93.3
8. Colorado, 92.3
—–
9. San Jose, 92.0
10. Minnesota, 90.5
11. St. Louis, 89.0
[Reply]
Player-X Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
@Section 103 Fan, good point…
Chicago = 0
Ducks = 3
Colorado = 2
Sharks = 3
Minnesota = 1
St. Louis = 1
[Reply]
bbb7 Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
@Section 103 Fan,
Chigago: none left
Anaheim: 2 home, 2 road
Colorado: 2 home
San Jose: 2 home, 1 road
Minnesota: 1 home, 1 road
St Louis: 1 home
So 8 home games in the 12 left against those teams.
[Reply]
Section 103 Fan Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:47 pm
@bbb7,
That is 24 big points right there. Thanks!
[Reply]
bbb7 Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
@bbb7, If the Kings can go something like 7-4 in the next 11 (which includes 9 road games) they would be 32-26-1, 65 pts, with 23 games remaining, of which 14 would be at home and 9 on the road. So would just need to go 14-9 in those to likely make the playoffs (with 93 pts).
SO, these next 11 games are crucial. Kings, make it easier on yourselves by winning these next 2 at home, so you can go 5-4 on the brutal road trip and still be in the hunt.
[Reply]
WIN …ITS NOT TO LATE!!!!
[Reply]
So Lot of philly staff here…lets get L.A/ Philly style goin..win at any cost!
[Reply]
For me it seem that 2 teams will trade places in the standings by the season’s end. Anaheim, Colorado, and possibly Phoenix out and San Jose, St. Louis and possibly LA in. I think Anaheim and Colorado will fall apart. In my opinion it will come down to LA and Phoenix fighting for the last playoff spot.
[Reply]
What would be cool is if the ENTIRE Pacific Division makes the playoffs!
[Reply]
Sebastian Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
@blckbsct, except Anaheim of course…haha.
[Reply]
Thanks Rich! Before you broke it down like that, I was really worried. But now, 21-13-0 seems VERY doable. Tonight’s Myers and Coke toast goes directly to you!
[Reply]
At least the Kings are finally going on the road where they have a record of 10-13-0. WOOOOO!!!! GKG!
[Reply]
Many important stops on this “drive to 95″
1. Kopitar needs to start scoring. When he scores, we usually win. Time for Kopi hot streak.
2. A lot of games still within our division. It’s very important that we beat SJ, ANA, DAL, PHX in the majority of those games.
3. If we’re gonna lose, we gotta at least lose in OT. That 3rd point is killing us in the standings. Many teams are holding on to playoff spots solely because of their ability to lose better than we do.
From what I’ve seen from this team so far this season, I fully believe they can do it and I also will not be shocked if they don’t. I’m hoping for Dr. Jekyll and not Mr. Hyde.
GO KINGS!
[Reply]
There’s two things at play here… one is making the playoffs. That makes life fun. But the real thing we’re going to miss out on is that we would be looking at a low seeding, like #6,7,8…which means it’s going to be tough sledding. Our breakout year will happen when we’re a #4 or #5, have a chance for home ice, and generally aren’t playing the toughest teams in the league. Look as much as I thought we had a real chance to beat the Canucks last year, I don’t exactly wanna see them again.
That being said… the playoffs are all about momentum. If we actually went 21-13 or better it means we’d be riding a pretty hot streak…so maybe seeding matters less.
[Reply]
Ahhhh good old stats, any team in the top eight could lose a top player to ingerie, or just fall into a slump, just like we started out hot, any team that is playing great right now can lose 10 or 11 in a row, not that we need even that, 4 points that is 2 games , we need to pick up the 2 points against the east teams, and beat a west team twice and we are in the fight. We have to win but 34 games are left beat the ducks 3 more times take out the yotes once 8 points……..
[Reply]
I love crunching the #’rs but, all I really care about is the next 4 points before the all star break.
[Reply]
Does any body remember how far out the wings were at the begining of the second half last year, or how far we fell after the olimpic break. Yet both teams made the playoffs, the ducks fell way behind at the begining of the season while were at the top, hey guess what, we have 34 games left, the same thing can happen in the last 34 as did in the first 34.
[Reply]
For us to get to 95 points, our record the rest of the way needs to be 22-12. That is the same winning percentage as a 106 point season stretched out over the entire year. Doable, but a huge challenge particularly given the upcoming schedule. There really is no margin for error left for the Kings. They either put together some wins immediately, or they are out of it this year.
[Reply]
Looking at the numbers doesn’t help. Basically all I see there is that the Kings can afford to lose a few games here and still do it – which isn’t the mentality that we need if were actually gonna get it done. Every game, every period, every shift is the only way its going to happen.
[Reply]
tonight is the first game of the rest of the season………
[Reply]
We ride Quick until the horse can’t go no more! COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Reply]
On the down side…if the Kings tank and fall just above the Oilers…how does the draft look? Hopefully deep with high scoring wingers.
[Reply]
USHA#17 Reply:
January 26th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
@Voice Of Reason,
Yeah, but by then Doughty will have retired. LOL
[Reply]
These numbers are projection’s who is to say any team in the top eight could not lose 5 or 6 more games than projected. We need to focus on the now not the later if we win we win if we lose we lose, now put it this way, you might be healthy today buuuuut you could get the flu tomarow no one knows till 34 games have been played. I refuse to live in the what if world, what if elvis isnt dead, what if aliens invade, what if we all just wach and wait and chear for our team, thats a what if I can live with.
[Reply]
rick Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
@Irishlak, Elvis is dead???
[Reply]
It’s not accurate at all to say that 91 is the total needed to get into the playoffs last season. The total needed was 95 (what the 8th seed had). As Quisp so eloquently demonstrated on his blog, if that 8th place team didn’t get to 95 that means they lost points to other teams and it would not be outrageous to assume it would have been to teams behind them. If they finish with fewer it means the teams behind them likely had more and thus adding one to the 9th place team’s point total is not how you determine the points needed to be a playoff team; you have to look to the 8th seed’s total.
[Reply]
King Taco Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:15 pm
@Garrett, We aren’t adding another team to the total number of teams in the conference. If you finish better than 9th, you are finishing 8th or better.
[Reply]
Have you seen the Kingsschedule for February. They have four back to backs and play almost the whole month on the road. It’s a whole lot tougher after looking at Feb’s schedule. They are on the outside looking in and will miss the playoffs by 4-7 points.
[Reply]
Well it starts tonight. Finish strong before the break, and bring it even stronger on the road!
Come on boys!
[Reply]
Playoffs begin
[Reply]
1 loser point in 48 games is Brutal. i am too lazy to look it up, but i would bet there is no other team in the league with less than 3 or 4. Phx has fewer wins than LA but have 9 loser pts.
[Reply]
USHA#17 Reply:
January 26th, 2011 at 7:31 pm
@KingsfaninWNY,
Not counting the Kings, one team with four, two teams with three, Kings with one.
[Reply]