Welcome to life in the Pacific Division. The Kings entered last night’s game in second place in the Pacific Division and in eighth place in the Western Conference. As they traded haymakers with the St. Louis Blues, they actually fell into third place in the division and ninth place in the conference. Then, after they beat the Blues in the shootout, the Kings moved up to first in the division and third in the conference. Keep your nitroglycerin handy, because the playoff race most likely will be like this for the next 16 days.
Both teams deserved a round of applause at the end of last night’s game. The two goalies were superb (with a combined total of 72 saves) and the game was intense but clean (the teams combined for 86 hits but only five minor penalties). It was the type of game that makes one wonder what’s wrong with tie games in the NHL. If there was ever an example of an evenly played game in which both deserved a point, this was it. That said, the Kings will take their extra point and run, as that extra point put them atop the Pacific Division for at least the rest of today. The Kings were flawless on the penalty kill, got a couple magnificent saves from Jonathan Quick and rebounded nicely after getting railroaded in the first period. What was the key aspect of the Kings’ 1-0 shootout victory over the St. Louis Blues? I present three options at the link below, and you can vote for your choice…
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For those who enjoy the traditional game recap, it can be found by clicking here.
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