Halfway Home – 3 Up, 3 Down for the Kings through 41 games

We’ve reached the 41-game mark for the LA Kings. Halfway home.

The second quarter of the season was very successful for the Kings. 14-5-2 was the record from those 21 games played, good for a .714 points percentage. Included in those 14 wins were eight against teams that currently occupy a playoff spot, so it’s not as if the Kings simply beat up on weaker teams in the standings. They’ve generally gotten the job done against upper-echelon teams too.

When you combine the first and second quarters, you get the 24-12-5 mark the Kings have compiled throughout the first half of the season. 53 points is, naturally, a 106-point pace, which would be the best regular season in franchise history by points earned. What’s crazy is, even the best regular season in franchise history wouldn’t be on pace to get home ice advantage in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Because, while the Kings had a good Q2, so did Edmonton and Vegas. As of today, those teams currently sit four and eight points ahead of the Kings.

The second quarter was a nice step forward for a group that entered it in search of consistency. Generally, I think they’ve answered that question. It’s not flawless every night, but gone are the days of seeing a lowly contested loss in San Jose one night, followed by a commanding victory over Vegas the next. Game-to-game consistency is much greater than it was earlier this season and that’s a big win. Consistency was a column down at the 20-game mark, so it’s nice to see that improved upon.

That’s not to say the Kings are a perfect team. They aren’t. There are areas of the game that, by the time the stretch run arrives, need to be ironed out for the team to get to where it is ultimately built to get to. I think that until that time, how people feel about this team will likely remain stagnant. Quarter two should have at least convinced most that the Kings are a good team. Can they become a great team? Maybe, but perhaps the better question is, can they become a great team anywhere within the scheduled 82? I’m not sure that’s when teams are crowned great, especially following three consecutive Round 1 series defeats. Assuming performance remains at this level, it’s what happens with Game 83 that will render judgement. Until that point, I don’t think we can call the Kings more than what they are. A good team, with the potential for more. For now, we go 3 up, 3 down and move along.

Defensive Identity
The LA Kings have allowed 60 goals this season at 5-on-5. No team in the NHL has conceded fewer. In total, the Kings have conceded 99 goals, the lowest total in the NHL.

The Kings have found their identity and it’s that of one of the strongest defensive teams around the NHL. Some would say the best. While the offensive expansion hasn’t quite been there – more on that below – the defensive side of the coin has been excellent. It’s come, too, without number-one defenseman Drew Doughty, who has yet to play this season. The Kings have gotten elevated performances from their veteran three blueliners – Mikey Anderson, Vladislav Gavrikov and Joel Edmundson – who have all played more minutes, in high-impact situations, than they have in the past or perhaps were even expected to. That’s been great.

Jacob Moverare has stepped up and earned himself a regular role, with his play likely keeping him in the NHL once Doughty does return. Younger blueliners Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence have had their ups and downs, but both have filled their roles. The defensemen have gotten the defensive support from their forwards as well, which is obviously important. Not all about the blueliners and to a man, the Kings have gotten defensive buy in all throughout their lineup.

Special K
Let’s start at the top. Anze Kopitar is 37-years-old. He’s also leading the Kings in scoring at just shy of a point-per-game pace, centering the team’s top offensive line along the way.

Kopitar feels ageless. With a team-best 28 assists and 40 points at the halfway mark, Kopitar continues to defy what many say should be happening. For as much as you’d have loved to see a Quinton Byfield take over that spot because of his own level of play, it’s hard not to be impressed with the way Kopitar has maintained it.

At the other end of the ice, despite his matchups and role, Kopitar ranks fifth among all centers with at least 500 minutes at 5-on-5 in goals against per/60 this season. While his offensive totals have not only not fallen off, but actually risen, his defensive game hasn’t slipped either.

Right alongside Kopitar has been Adrian Kempe and only one forward in the NHL has a better on-ice goal disparity this season than Kempe, who sits at 69.4 percent. Meaning, that when Kempe has been on the ice at 5-on-5 this season, 69.4 percent of goals scored have been Kings goals. Pretty staggering.

Kempe’s offensive profile changed a bit last season. While he cracked 70 points for the first time, leading the Kings in scoring, he also fell from 41 goals to 28. No drop off this season. Kempe is tied for seventh in the NHL in even-strength goals this season and he’s logged fewer minutes than the six players above him. 20 goals in total, safe to say the goalscorer is back.

Lastly, let’s talk about Darcy Kuemper.

The Kings had their share of question marks entering the season, with Kuemper on that list for sure. Coming over from Washington off a down season, it was unknown whether or not Kuemper could find the form that made him a Stanley Cup champion with Colorado in 2022 and one of the league’s most consistent goaltenders before that in Arizona.

Kuemper ranks second in the league among qualifying goaltenders this season goals-against average (2.11) and third in save percentage (.921). While he’s missed two stints of time due to injury, when he’s been in the net, Kuemper has handled a strong workload and has been an extremely important part of the way the Kings have played in the second quarter of the season. He’s been the starter, handling that workload well and effectively. Really good sign for the Kings that he’s played so well.

The Penalty Kill
This wasn’t a part of the quarter-season overview. It didn’t merit inclusion at the time. It does right now.

Through eight games, the Kings had a very strange start to the season on the PK. In every game played, the Kings either allowed zero goals or multiple goals. Four games of each. All in all, it led to a penalty kill unit with a tough looking number of 72.2 percent, allowing ten goals in eight games. Despite the goals, though, internal metrics said the PK was improving, we just weren’t seeing the results yet on the ice.

Now, I think it’s fair to say the results are showing. Game 41 was perhaps the best PK showing of the season. The second kill in particular, against an Edmonton power play that’s proven to be a nightmare at times, was exemplary. Overall, we’re seeing this aggressive approach on the PP bearing fruit. Early in the season, as reads were being learned, as situational plays still involved thinking, not just doing, there were leaks. Against top power plays specifically, the Kings had some difficult games. But then they became less and less frequent. All of a sudden, from Game 9 on, the Kings have been the best team in the NHL on the penalty kill, coming in at 86.2 percent. Have to give credit there on the improvement.

The defensive trio of Anderson, Edmundson and Gavrikov have led the charge in those situation. Quinton Byfield and Warren Foegele have become a highly effective pair, supporting a team filled with players who are strong and capable penalty killers.

Last season, the PK percentage at the end of the season was really strong. But underneath the surface, there were cracks that didn’t hurt until it was too late. The foundation is stronger right now than it was, despite an overall number that’s lower. A positive trend heading into the second half of the season.

Goals
Of the 16 teams in a playoff spot entering today, just two have scored fewer goals than the Kings this season.

The mantra this offseason was simple. Keep the defensive numbers where they were, while opening up the style just a little bit to pursue more offense. The deviation from the 1-3-1, on paper, was designed to create more in transition, getting the wingers moving as opposed to standing still, thinking it could deliver more offensive opportunities in transition. What has transpired, in practice, has almost been a double down on what made the Kings effective in the past.

Los Angeles is a stout defensive team. No questioning that. As noted above, at 5-on-5, the Kings have allowed just 60 total goals, the fewest in the NHL. That’s 1.5 goals against per game. In terms of 5-on-5 scoring, the Kings rank middle of the pack. When you factor in power-play production, they fall to 23rd.

While the Kings have gotten solid production from Kopitar and Kempe, as well as depth scoring from players like Alex Laferriere and Warren Foegele, they haven’t gotten what they’ve needed in other areas. Kevin Fiala ranks second on the team with 14 goals, which is on pace for 28 this season, one shy of last season’s total. He leads the team in scoring chances too. He only has eight assists though and for the player who has led the Kings over the last two seasons with 54 primary assists, Fiala’s production has certainly fallen this season. When he’s on, he’s a gamebreaker. For a team that needs more offensively, though, they need more production in that department. To say it’s all on one player though is ignoring what the numbers are telling us.

Across the board, the Kings have had a lot of up and down seasons so far from a production standpoint. Five forwards are in double-digit goals on the season, while Quinton Byfield has nine, but even within that group has been inconsistency. For Laferriere, after a scorching start, he has two goals since December 1. Trevor Moore and Phillip Danault have a combined nine goals. Byfield seems to be coming around, with six of his nine goals coming in his last 12 games, but that came after three from 29. Even Kopitar, who has steadily delivered, has only scored in two of his last 15 games, though both were multi-goal games. Outside of the consistency of Kempe, the Kings haven’t just relied on one dude, they’ve gotten different contributors at different times. Recent results, though, could have been changed with a single goal in a 1-0 or 2-1 game. The range of outcomes here is high, because there are so many different players to look at. Regardless, though, of where the goals come from, you’ve got to score to win. And the Kings need to score more than they have.

Power Play
– On Opening Night in Buffalo, the Kings scored a power-play goal as they came from behind to win. In the third game of the regular season, the Kings scored three power-play goals in Ottawa. Four PPG’s in their first three games gave some optimism that the power play could be a real strength for the Kings. Since that game in Ottawa? The Kings have scored just two total goals on the power play on the road. 21 games played, two goals.

It’s been much better at home, with the Kings clicking at 23.1 percent at Crypto.com Arena, but when you put it all together, it’s been a bottom-five unit this season around the NHL. 14 PPG in total and only the Islanders have collected fewer. That’s just not a sustainable formula for a team looking to find success in the postseason.

Not an inside piece of information, but over the next couple of months, if the Kings do add to the group, you wonder if the power play is an area of focus. Drew Doughty’s return should help, for sure. Doughty had seven power-play goals last season, tied for the third most in the NHL among defensemen. While Brandt Clarke has been an effective puck mover, he hasn’t had the same scoring threat from the top that Doughty offers. That should help. Could we see a unit with both players together?

Can’t just expect Doughty to be a savior, though. Those currently on that unit need to elevate their play and an external acquisition could be possible too. To put it simply, there just has not been enough production on the man advantage and the Kings have to explore ways of changing that. Personally, until Doughty returns, I wouldn’t mind seeing the five-forward unit come back. I thought it was the most effective the Kings have been on the PP this season, putting the most weight on Adrian Kempe, who is the team’s most productive scorer. Few ways to approach it, but all options should be on the table as the Kings look to work on that unit.

Divisional Play
The Kings have found a lot of success this season against the Eastern Conference, with an 11-4-4 mark to this point in the season. They’ve fared pretty well against the Central Division as well, with a record of 7-1-2. But within the Pacific Division, the Kings are just 5-7-0 from 12 games played.

The Kings have actually played their best hockey at the top, splitting games with both Vegas and Edmonton. Both wins were signature performances. On the other hand, though, 0-2 against Calgary, 0-1 versus Vancouver with another meeting on tap on Thursday and 1-2 against San Jose. The Calgary mark specifically is one that keeps the race tight at five teams. Split those games and the Kings are nearly double-digit points clear. A feisty Calgary team is now just four points back of LA, with Vancouver one behind them.

The halfway mark of the season is also basically the halfway mark within the Pacific Division. The Kings have 13 divisional games left, including two this week to conclude their trip. The Edmonton and Calgary games were four-point games and we’ve seen what narrow defeats have done within the standings, and not in favor of the Kings.

8 of the 13 will come at home, including the to-be-rescheduled Calgary game, though it’s mostly a backloaded schedule on that front. Important points to be won and lost in the road games too, including the two games this week. While all two points count the same, getting the job done in the division has an extra element of important, even if sometimes it’s just the feeling of it all. An area the Kings will look for a upturn in coming down the stretch.

And that’s the halfway point, Insiders.

Doesn’t feel like we’ve played 41 games to me. Yet, here we are. Next 3 weeks are going to come at us fast, I think. Seven of nine on the road before three at home heading into 4 Nations break. Fast and furious until those road games end. By the end of that, we’ll be inside 30 games to play, more than halfway towards the three-quarters overview and we’ll see if the PP can avoid the trifecta.