(any excuse to use a LA Kings Ice Girl Picture!)

When I saw the Kings play in Philly a few months back I was amazed by their work ethic and balance combining a young D and an experienced O. And of course Jonathan Quick is turning into quite the star in his own right.

When the Kings were here they were in 9th place, despite having scored 30+ more goals than they had allowed, and I commented on how this team was every bit a playoff team. But I also commented on how staying healthy was always the issue...

Sure enough, the Kings have suffered major blows to their offense in the last two weeks losing Kopitar and Williams for what looks to be the season. Arguably, you couldn't pick two more important players to this team to lose....at least on the offensive side of things. Especially Kopitar, who is among the most talented players in the game, and I still say the most underrated "superstar" in the NHL.

I actually questioned if the Kings could hold their playoff spot without these two...well truth be told the Kings have done just fine so far...they have won their last 4 games (tied for longest current win streak with the Canucks) and have gone 8-1-1.

Despite his play in last year's tourney, I believe in Quick. I also am very strong on this team's team defense. I feel the Kings can still make a whole lot of hay in the playoffs...

And as the playoffs approach the pressure does indeed mount on these Kings. There has been a long held belief out there that Dean Lombardi must get the Kings into the second round of the playoffs at least to be assured of his position next year. I am not so sure of this, but we shall see...

What's the Buzz?
1. How far can the Kings go without Kopitar and Williams.
2. Do these injuries give Lombardi a reprieve?
3. Does the Penner trade save Dean?

The Way It Plays Out Now Based on Matchups...

Eastern Conference
Opening Round
1. Philly (4-1) Defeats 8. NYR
2. Wash (2-0-1) Defeats 7. Buff
6. Montreal (4-2) Defeats 3. Boston
4. Pittsburgh (2-1) Defeats 5. Tampa
Conference Semis
1 Philly (3-1) Defeats 6. Montreal
2 Wash (3-0-1) Defeats 4 Pittsburgh
Conference Final
1. Philly (2-0-2) Defeats 2. Washington

Western Conference
Opening Round
1. Van (2-1-1) Defeats 8.Chicago
7. Nashville (4-1) Defeats 2. Detroit
3. SJ(2-1-1) defeat Anaheim
4. Phoenix (3-2) Defeats LA Kings
Conference Semis
7. Nashville (2-2) Defeats 1. Vancouver
(Goals in tied season series favor the Preds 8-6)
3. SJ (4-0) Defeats 4. Phoenix
Conference Final
7. Nashville 2-0-2 defeats 3. SJ

Stanley Cup Final

Philadelphia (1-0) Defeats Nashville

On February 3rd, Philly Defeated the Preds in Philadelphia 3-2.

It's amazing how the matchups change the end result day to day...

More to come...

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