Time to be worried about the Kings playoff chances?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Meh, Kings/Sutter does this every year to sneak into 8th place to surprise the teams ahead of them. Still lots of time to make up ground. Just watch, after the trading deadline, they'll be pretty strong and unbeatable. Sutter's strategy is to get the team ready for the playoffs at the right time. Unlike the Sharks team that gets all of their points at the beginning of the season, the Kings gets on a roll and start peaking after the second round and going into the finals. He tried to do that with the Flames, but by the time they get to the playoffs, everyone is hurt and/or there's not enough depth to get through the first round. Kings are a talented team and have the size depth to push them into the playoffs and further.

Not this year. And no, this season is not a repeat of what the Kings have done in the past. The last four seasons they have been pretty comfortably in a playoff spot by early February. This year, they are in trouble, and there is not lots of time to make up ground.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Meh, Kings/Sutter does this every year to sneak into 8th place to surprise the teams ahead of them. Still lots of time to make up ground. Just watch, after the trading deadline, they'll be pretty strong and unbeatable. Sutter's strategy is to get the team ready for the playoffs at the right time. Unlike the Sharks team that gets all of their points at the beginning of the season, the Kings gets on a roll and start peaking after the second round and going into the finals. He tried to do that with the Flames, but by the time they get to the playoffs, everyone is hurt and/or there's not enough depth to get through the first round. Kings are a talented team and have the size depth to push them into the playoffs and further.

Do you think this is an actual strategy of Darryl's? That seems super risky to me. You could be right, not saying your not, but I would think you'd play to win and prepare the same every night.

And I was going to post it in my OP but I wasn't sure and didn't want to put false information up there, I think Textcritic just said it, even with the low seeds LA had, they were comfortably in that 7-9 range pretty much all the way through and at the key times. Don't think they've been this far behind before. (Again, could be wrong, but that's what I remember)

[united]

Originally Posted by Buff

Physically they can probably handle it. Mentally they may be tired.

Yup. Physical drain is real for sure but probably not as much as it's made out to be. A big difference is the mental and motivational part. When you play two months of high stakes, emotional playoff games finally ending with you winning the Stanley Cup, coming back to a dreary Tuesday evening in November in Columbus your motivation isn't exactly there even for the best of pros.

They have a big uphill battle, but they have by far the worst record in the league in shootouts at 1-7. They've scored 2 goals on 28 shots in the shootout this season! That is pathetic and has to get better at some point, but it may be too late. Keep in mind Winnipeg has played 2 or 3 more games than most teams at this point, so their point total is inflated, too.

Originally Posted by Daradon

Currently they sit 5 points out of the wild card (with a game in hand on the Flames) and 10 points out of a spot in their division, which is looking like it will be the harder division to grab a spot in when the final results are in.

They are only five points out of a spot in their division.

[Daradon]

^ Oh man! Derp. I knew I couldn't get through the whole post without messing up a stat. Such a brain fart too, dunno why I was looking at the Central. Guess I got a little turned around on the way the Wild Card stats are posted.

:facepalm

[GioforPM]

I agree with cali's take. The only concerns for me are some trade that vastly improves the Kings and Darryl Sutter, who has never missed the POs except for the half year when he took over in Calgary.

[automaton 3]

In previous cup years they made some significant acquisitions that gave them a boost (Sutter and Carter in 2012, Gaborik last year).

With their salary cap issues (including a pile of dead space on Richards in the minors) they may struggle to add any pieces of much significance this year. If they keep going like they have been, they might be even be sellers at the deadline and try to retool (Williams, Stoll and Regher all UFA).

As others have mentioned, they are really missing Voynov's minutes. Doughty is playing a ton and Regher and Green look slow and exposed at times.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by automaton 3

In previous cup years they made some significant acquisitions that gave them a boost (Sutter and Carter in 2012, Gaborik last year).

With their salary cap issues (including a pile of dead space on Richards in the minors) they may struggle to add any pieces of much significance this year. If they keep going like they have been, they might be even be sellers at the deadline and try to retool (Williams, Stoll and Regher all UFA).

As others have mentioned, they are really missing Voynov's minutes. Doughty is playing a ton and Regher and Green look slow and exposed at times.

No doubt Richards' contract prevents them from a significant move, so it's all contingent on them making a deal for him. Which is why the Flames shouldn't do one - it can only help them. Unless of course, they can reallyr eally hose them.

They are lucky they have releif from Voynov's salary.

[troutman]

They are in big trouble. Need to go 18-11-3 to get to 93 points, with a heavy road schedule.

[killer_carlson]

I think the Voyonov hole on defence without cap relief is a huge issue.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

I think the Voyonov hole on defence without cap relief is a huge issue.

I thought they got relief after the charges were brought.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Daradon

I originally had 'worried' in quotes, as I too would prefer to see a weaker Kings team for our benefit. One can only write so much in a headline. But come on guys, you know what I mean. Should Kings supporters or the Kings themselves be worried? Do you think they make it in?

I think they will make it in. They still have 32 games left. People make it sound like there are 2 weeks left to the season. The season is no where near done and all it takes is a monumental winning or losing streak to be in or out for any team. When they won the cup in 2012 they were the 8th seed. They backed into that spot and still ended up with one of the most dominating runs in NHL history. I have no doubt they will make it, and that's why it's so important for the Flames to have that >= 7th place cushion. All it takes for them is to go on some crazy 12-2 run and they are back in it. I think we'll see them end the season on some crazy run like that and storm back in.

[dammage79]

Kings? I'm not worried about their playoff chances, they can sit back a year.

They've logged a serious amount of hockey the last four years, burn out was inevitable.

Besides, if not for the Kings and Sharks leveling off the Pacific division would still be a brick wall lining a lead wall to break into a playoff spot. We should be happy that the Flames are paying good hockey and other teams are slipping this year. Bonus rounds for the progression of the rebuild and the development of the kids.

[foshizzle11]

I think they are in trouble and without finding a replacement for at least Voynov they will be lucky to make the playoffs.

This is exactly the reason nobody should bail them out and make a trade for Richards. No cap relief for them is a good thing and I hope the Flames can steal their spot from last year. This is only a good thing for us.

[Daradon]

Yeah it's been mentioned by a lot of you guys, but I totally forgot about Voynov. Could be the biggest part of the puzzle.

Well that and a Quick that looks pretty average, I think Cali mentioned it first. Kinda like that one year Kipper had when he was very un-Kipper-like.

I gotta say, if I HAD to bet, I'd say no. But I'd still put the chances at close to 50-50.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by troutman

They are in big trouble. Need to go 18-11-3 to get to 93 points, with a heavy road schedule.

What are we assuming is a "guaranteed" playoff spot in the West this year, in that other thread? 96 points is it?

EDIT:

Last year: 90
2012/13: 89 (pro-rated)
2011/12: 91
2010/11: 96
2009/10: 91
2008/09: 90
2007/08: 89
2006/07: 96
2005/06: 93

Average: 91.7. Lower than I thought.

[darthma]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Meh, Kings/Sutter does this every year to sneak into 8th place to surprise the teams ahead of them. Still lots of time to make up ground. Just watch, after the trading deadline, they'll be pretty strong and unbeatable. Sutter's strategy is to get the team ready for the playoffs at the right time. Unlike the Sharks team that gets all of their points at the beginning of the season, the Kings gets on a roll and start peaking after the second round and going into the finals. He tried to do that with the Flames, but by the time they get to the playoffs, everyone is hurt and/or there's not enough depth to get through the first round. Kings are a talented team and have the size depth to push them into the playoffs and further.

When Sutter was running the show in Calgary (at least at first), I always felt that the team would be a so-so team for the regular season but was ultimately designed for the playoffs. This doesn't mean that you get into the playoffs, but if you do you should go far.

It's definitely a different way of building a team. On the other hand, it might just me thinking about that era with rose-coloured glasses. Re: Mike Leclerc.

[Enoch Root]

LA has to be better than ALL of Dallas, Minnesota and Colorado, AND they have to catch one of Calgary, Vancouver, San Jose or Winnipeg

Conversely, if one of the first group remains ahead of them, thy have to catch 2 of the second group.

There is almost no chance they make the playoffs, IMO

[burn_this_city]

They have 5 road wins all season, they aren't going to make it unless they pull off a big win streak.

[davidbjordan]

Do you not have to have depth scoring to be in the playoffs?

Regehr since coming back from injury has been playing solid and is putting up 20 or so minutes a night mostly of which are on the penalty kill

The depth has gone dry... King Stoll brown Clifford lewis Pearson down, Richards gone, toffoli and carter in lengthy dry spells... The reliance on that top line is unbelievable and they don't have the ability to drive the offense with the back end because it would have to come from Martinez muzzin and mcnabb who have fallen short

I don't think you will see them in the playoffs this year

[Itse]

I'll add "team to beat" thing to the number of reasons why the Kings are struggling. Everybody wants to beat the champions. They want to do it in the regular season to prove they can do it, and they try to build teams that will eventually match up well against them in the playoffs.

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

LA has to be better than ALL of Dallas, Minnesota and Colorado, AND they have to catch one of Calgary, Vancouver, San Jose or Winnipeg

Meh. All good teams, none great. I'm still expecting Winnipeg to fall, Vancouver tends to fold under pressure, we're young and could go another cold streak due to lack of consistency, and San Jose is nothing impressive either.

The Flames have a serious chance of being the best of that group, and LA at their best is still way above us.

But we'll see. In any case we should get a ton of good hockey. It's almost like playoff time already.

It will in an interesting trade deadline too.