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After going through a rebuild and missing the playoffs for the last three seasons, the Los Angeles Kings are showing improvement. Entering the holiday break, the Kings currently sit tied for 10th in the Western Conference in points percentage, with a 14-11-5 record through 30 games.
While the Kings have had scoring issues, ranking near the bottom of the league in goals per game, there are still some positives up front. Anze Kopitar’s production has slowed down a bit as the season goes along but he’s still producing very well at 34 years old. Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe are producing as expected, though Dustin Brown’s rate has slowed down.
Viktor Arvidsson has also been a really solid addition to the top-six, with six goals and 14 points in 23 games. I had said heading into the season that we could see Arvidsson’s production recover to a 25-goal, 50-point pace and so far, his pace is 21 goals and 50 points (per 82). Meanwhile, Phillip Danault has also provided stability down the middle. While I still think he’d be an ideal fit as a third-line center down the road, once Quinton Byfield joins the Kings and starts to get comfortable, Danault has provided a boost to the forward group.
There’s also a lot to like when it comes to the team’s depth forwards, as prospects like Arthur Kaliyev and Rasmus Kupari are chipping in, despite fairly minimal usage. Blake Lizotte's play also warrants a solid argument for him being a potential long-term fourth-line center with the team, while Brendan Lemieux, despite some controversy, has been performing well alongside him.
On the blue line, Drew Doughty has been adding a ton of offense (when he’s been in the lineup) though long-term injuries to Alex Edler and Sean Walker have hurt the defense group and Matt Roy has been forced to take on a large workload this year. That said, Sean Durzi has made a huge impact since joining the Kings and looks as though he’s on his way to becoming a permanent defender for the team.
The key for the Kings has been their ability to limit goals, as they’ve allowed the eighth fewest goals against per game. Jonathan Quick has been excellent, taking back much of the workload in net from Cal Petersen, who has had a disappointing start to the year. Quick’s .930 save percentage through 18 games has been a key factor in several of the Kings’ wins this year and it’s a bounce back year that not many were expecting.
All of this said, reaching the playoffs this year will be a challenge. A gap is starting to emerge between the top eight teams in the conference and the bottom eight teams and the Kings are on the wrong side of that. Sure, a win streak changes things pretty quickly but there are still issues with the team.
The Kings still lack legitimate top forwards and unless they're planning to make another major addition, they'll have to wait until some of their prospects take another step. Additionally, the blue line is very inexperienced with both Edler and Walker out.
That said, the goal coming into the year for the Kings was to take a step towards competing, which they've done thus far. Regardless of the playoffs, between the core group, offseason additions and prospects who cracked the roster, the Kings are competitive this year and have taken a big step forward.
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Supersurvey
OTHER ARTICLES FROM DECEMBER
Kale Clague claimed off waivers by Canadiens
Kings continue to lose ground in Pacific, have won two of last 10 games
Jonathan Quick picks up shutout as Kings blank Stars
Kings’ situation in net playing out differently than expected
Kings snap Wild's streak with 2-1 win
Kings fall short against Lightning, lose in overtime
Jonathan Quick comes up big again, Kings defeat Panthers
Kings rebound vs. Caps after loss in Carolina, game vs. Oilers postponed
Kings' game vs. Golden Knights postponed, Edler and Walker placed on LTIR 
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