NHL: Can the Los Angeles Kings still make the playoffs?

The Los Angeles Kings have been suffering a nasty Stanley Cup hangover, is it too late for them to make the playoffs?

It has been a season of ups and downs for the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. The offensive prowess of “That 70’s Line” caught the league by storm in the first two months of the season. However, the loss of some key players from last year’s roster, injuries, and the indefinite suspension of defenseman Slava Voynov have caused the Kings to struggle for the majority of the first half of the 2014-15 NHL season.

More from Los Angeles Kings

These days the words “Cup hangover” start getting thrown around even before the last drops of champagne are poured in the post-championship celebration and so far the Kings appear to have a pretty nasty one.

As it currently stands, they have 56 points (tied with the Minnesota Wild) and sit five points back from the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. In a conference as competitive as the West, the Kings have a significant amount of ground to make up and not much time in which to do it. Then again, this is the team that won their first Stanley Cup as the eighth seed, stormed back from several 3-0 series deficits, and have rallied in the second half of the season before.

The main thing that the Kings have going for them is that the two current Wild Card teams, the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames vastly exceeded expectations in the first half of the season. While neither team shows any signs of slowing down, I find it far more likely that the Kings rally to take over one of those final Wild Card spots than both of these teams maintain their positions.

Jan 17, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) makes a save as Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) and Anaheim Ducks left wing Patrick Maroon (19) go for the puck in the third the game at Staples Center. Ducks won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

The Kings are having no problem with puck possession this season – their CF% of 53.5 puts them third overall in the league and their even strength CF% of 54.4 ties them with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the league lead.

Where they are struggling is turning that puck possession into scoring.

Their 142 goals for is 21st in the league (just one ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets and five behind the Toronto Maple Leafs). What separates them from the likes of the Blue Jackets and Maple Leafs is that they have the 14th fewest goals against this season. Their 751 missed shots is the sixth most in the league. Their PDO currently sits at 98.8, which is a possible indicator that we will be seeing an upswing soon from the Kings. (Stats courtesy of war-on-ice.com)

The Kings have also struggled away from the Staples Center this season: they have a 16-6-6 record at home and a 6-12-6 record on the road. Fortunately for them they have a home heavy schedule for the remainder of February — five of their eight games will be played at Staples Center — so some ground could be made up there. However, for March and April, they appear to have an even mix of home and away games.

We’ve been waiting for that turning-point in the season where the Kings string together a winning streak that brings them back into playoff contention. However, out of the All-Star break they are 2-3-0 and 3-5-2 over their last 10 – hardly the numbers of a team that is turning things around and getting ready to go on a tear. Still, a big 4-2 win over the Atlantic Division leading Tampa Bay Lightning might be a good starting point for a season turn around.

So can the Los Angeles Kings make the playoffs? If this team has proven one thing over the last three seasons it’s that we should never count them out. Several things have worked against them this season and they really haven’t been able to put things together. However, with a friendly schedule this month and two inexperienced teams ahead of them, I would not be surprised if the Kings make a final push that gets them one of the two Wild Card spots in the Western Conference.

More from FanSided

Home/Los Angeles Kings