The Kings look like a playoff team as they face their next head-to-head games – Orange County Register

The Kings will go into their first game in a month having won their last four and six of their previous seven, a surge that puts them second in the Pacific Division.

They will face the Sharks in San Jose on Monday and then host defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. The Kings took a two-goal lead in their game at Tampa Bay on December 14 but ultimately fell through in extra time.

Since then, the Kings have won 8/11 games and have not lost a match where they have led. They are leading 6-0-0 in the first season, and 15-2-3 when leading after two innings. They have led more for 40 minutes this season (20) than all of last season (16).

“We learned to turn off the third stages and win the game that way, which is great,” defender Drew Doughty said, adding that he feel the Kings are a playoff team.

The Kings’ 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday saw captain Anze Kopitar extend his streak to three games, where he had five, while his teammate Adrian Kempe pulled. lengthen the streak to four games with at least one point, including three goals. . Kempe joined COVID protocols on Sunday, meaning the Kings may not have his services available for Thursday’s return game as well as the one against Colorado.

In the match against Seattle, striker Trevor Moore had his third consecutive start and fourth in the last six games, through which he had 11 points. He’s sixth in the NHL in terms of goalscoring since January 1. Going into the new year, Moore has seven points from 32 games.

Kings coach Todd McLellan says that Moore, an attacking star at the University of Denver, has joined the crowded Toronto Maple Leafs system with players with an attacking spirit. Moore had to develop other areas of his game to allow him to play a more detail-oriented and gritty role. Sharing his experience as a scoring threat with his contribution in six-man roles ultimately made Moore a reliable player with an all-round game since his arrival. Los Angeles in 2020.

“We already know about his college career; We know that he is very capable of playing in the top six and attacking,” said McLellan. “But he’s always had a tenacity and he’s capable of playing other areas of the game.”

He added: “Our players, for a man, have a lot of respect for Trevor, and they should, he earns that every night.”

Goalkeeper Cal Petersen has won his third consecutive decision in more than a month, having made 60 of 62 saves by 2022. He and Jonathan Quick are likely to split the two games. with San Jose and Tampa Bay.

Kings have a habit of strangling opposing stars. In their four-match winning streak, they have kept seven of the eight second-placed top scorers off the scoresheet. Only Penguins’ Kris Letang scored against the Kings, an unusual goal from just below the line. Meanwhile the future halls of fame center Sidney Crosby and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin were scoreless along with their top scorer Jake Guentzel.

“You see star players from other teams getting frustrated and yelling at us like, ‘What kind of system are you playing?’ We just stick to that, we like to let other teams down. I know from talking to the players after we’ve played with them, it’s a tough night every time they come to play the LA Kings.”

Like the Kings and Ducks, San Jose is part of a rotation of California clubs. After achieving success and stability in the 2010s, fanbases for all three teams have struggled over the past two seasons. This year, San Jose is back in the playoff picture. If the season ends on Saturday, all three franchises will qualify for the post-season.