“We’ve been doing a great job of embracing the challenges of playing these top teams all year. We get up for them and I think they bring out our best hockey. We feel, especially on home ice here, that it doesn’t matter who we’re playing, if we play our game, we’re going to come out in front.”
That was goaltender Darcy Kuemper, speaking after what was perhaps the most complete, 60-minute performance of the season in a 3-0 victory over the league-leading Washington Capitals.
While last night was perhaps the loudest win, the Kings have improved vastly this season against the best teams in the NHL. It’s been a narrative I’ve been focusing on for awhile now because it’s a big difference. Over the last three seasons, really, the Kings have feasted against the teams they’re supposed to beat. There have been signature wins, for sure, but it hasn’t been the difference maker in getting those teams into the postseason.
Last season specifically, the Kings posted a 15-17-7 record against the teams that qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 15 wins from 39 games played against those clubs. With yesterday’s victory over the Capitals, the Kings improved to 17-11-2 against the teams currently occupying playoff positions. That’s a .474 winning percentage last season to a .600 winning percentage so far in the 2024-25 season, with two more wins in nine fewer games.
“Every year it’s a new team, it just is and it last year we were really strong on the road and we struggled at home a little bit and now this year, we’re struggling on the road, it’s hard to make sense of it sometimes,” Head Coach Jim Hiller said. “I do believe that our players this far in the season know that if we are all together and we all do the same thing and play the game the way we believe that our team has to play it to have success, then we can beat anybody.”
Hiller added that, at this point in time, the sample size is large enough where the Kings know that “when we play like that, we have it.” If it was five games, sure, I don’t think we know. But 30 games now against those upper-echelon clubs says something.
And, over 64 games to date, of course it has not been there every night. The Kings have had a few lopsided defeats against those top clubs and they’ve certainly had letdowns against teams at the bottom of the league. One victory from five games against Chicago and San Jose would certainly embody that. But there has been a shift when matching up against the other end of the standings and it’s clear that this team sees itself in that mix.
Perhaps the belief internally has been a part of the switch.
The Kings are not talked about, externally, as being among the top teams. The Athletic did a playoff model recently and had the Kings in their own category. Dark horses. Not in the top contenders or the mid contenders, but not in the playoff teams without a real chance either. Right in the middle.
Therefore, when they beat a top team, it becomes a storyline. There’s some merit as to why they are not in those conversations. They’re a solid playoff team and have been now for three seasons but they haven’t made any progress thus far in the postseason. Until they do, they’ll continue to be thought of where they’re at and there’s not really a way to change that narrative until Game 83.
Inside the room, though, those kinds of things don’t matter and they shouldn’t matter. Right now, the Kings feel confident when they play against those types of teams. They believe in what they have and they don’t see games like last night as an upset. They see it as going out, playing their game and reaping the rewards from doing so.
“I think we consider us to be a top team as well, so it doesn’t really matter who we play against, we always show up and we always give our best and we play against anybody,” forward Kevin Fiala said earlier this week. “Confidence-wise, it’s nice to see that we can beat those teams. In the room here, we believe in us, so for us, it’s not a lucky thing or whatever. We just continue throughout the season to get better.”
At this time of the year, that confidence is important. As is finding ways to get the job done against the top teams in the NHL.
On that front, it’s hard not to be confident, right?
“I think it’s very encouraging,” forward Alex Laferriere added. “I think that gives us confidence that we can beat those teams. Obviously, you want to go out and win every game of the year but you can’t do that in this league, it’s a hard league to win in and being able to win against the best teams is something that only great teams are able to do. It gives us a lot of confidence.”
The stretch ahead will see the Kings take on current playoff teams nine more times, so there’s obviously still a long way to go. There are important games coming up, including a two-game roadtrip, but for me, a stretch of seven games in 11 days, beginning on March 22, will determine where this team will ultimately go.
As of today, the Kings sit in second place in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of Edmonton. As we all know, a first or second place finish would mean that the Kings would host Game 1 on home ice and if you narrow down that record versus playoff teams to home ice only, the Kings have played 13 games against current playoff teams at Crypto.com Arena. They’re 13-0-0 in those games. Seven in 11 though is absolutely grueling, especially when the Kings will see four top-tier opponents, with a pair of back-to-backs included as well. Not much rest for the weary, but a real test that will see the Kings faced with the opportunity to compete potentially even for the Pacific Division title
“At this time of the year, you want to build momentum going into the playoffs and usually the teams that go the furthest are playing really good hockey at this time,” forward Warren Foegele said. “We need to continue that and go from there.”
At this point, it’s that self belief that is driving the Kings forward.
Inside the room, there is a strong belief that no matter what team is on the schedule, no matter how the games lay out, the Kings feel that they can get a result. Ultimately, the proof will be in the pudding. The Kings have 18 games left in 34 days to close out the season. A point up with a game in hand, including two against the Edmonton Oilers, their fate is in their hands.
“We take every game the same, doesn’t matter who we play, if it’s a top team or not, we’re not scared of anybody,” Fiala added. “We’re strong at home this year, way better than last year and we feel comfortable. The fans have been amazing, that’s a factor for sure, and like I said, we can beat anybody and we’ve shown it this year.”
Time to go seize it.
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