Before we start planning the parade, it is important to understand why the Kings have been able to play so well recently, despite coming off of a lackluster six game loosing streak.

The Los Angeles Kings are a team in transition. The “retool” has been completed and, in the process, the Kings have built what is arguable one of the best prospect pools in league history. We are beginning to see some of these prospects, namely Gabe Vilardi, Tobias Björnfot, Ramsus Kupari, and Arthur Kaliyev, get regular playing time in a Kings uniform. This is a different time than we saw in the 2020-2021 shortened season: it’s exciting to see all of this young talent on display. Nevertheless, there are going to be inevitable moments of frustration as prospects navigate the transition into the NHL.

Before the season started, I predicted that the team would be “streaky” due to inconsistent play by the emerging class on youngsters getting their first shot at the NHL. So far, I have been proven correct. The season started with an exciting 6-2 rout against rival Vegas. Then, to put it mildly, things went downhill. The Kings lost two consecutive one goal games before Drew Doughty hyperextended his knee during a scary collision with Dallas’ Jani Hakanpaa in a 2-3 overtime loss. With Doughty expected to be sidelined for eight weeks, things looked bleak for a team that was already struggling to score goals. Then things got worse. Just two games later, defenseman Sean Walker’s season was cut short when he tore his ACL and MCL. Without two of the team’s top three defensemen, morale was low amongst the team and fans. Returning home from an 0-4 road trip allowed the team to reset and evaluate its options in the wake of the injuries on the blueline, namely calling up Kale Clague and Austin Strand from the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Another interesting recall was that of Ramsus Kupari who has been looking to prove that he is ready to be a full-time NHLer since last season.

With the Kings’ defense solidified, and a decent effort during their return to Staples Center in a 2-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, the Kings were ready to turn the corner on the losing streak against the Montreal Canadians. Despite going down 0-1 in the first, the team rallied putting up five straight goals en route to a final score of 5-2. This gave the team some much-needed confidence and momentum to pull off a comeback victory against the Buffalo Sabers the following day. The Kings continued to build off of these victories by winning four more games and, to put it simply, it feels pretty good.

What changed? Despite loosing key defensive players to injury and two forwards (Vilardi and Arvidsson) to the Covid protocol list, the team has strung these six wins together. The most obvious change is some of the new faces getting fully acclimated with the Kings system. Newcomer Phil Danault has created some truly magic chemistry with Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe, veteran defenseman Alex Edler has risen to the occasion anchoring an extremely young defense in the absence of Doughty, and Arvidsson was beginning to demonstrate chemistry with Anže Kopitar and Dustin Brown on the Kings’ top line before he was placed in Covid protocol. To put it simply, it just took a little time for things to fall into place with the newcomers and rookies alike finding chemistry.

The Kings are showing potential to put together a strong regular season and possible return to the playoffs. The key word in this analysis is “potential”. During the six game loosing streak, in all but two games, the Kings were within one goal. At face value, that is a promising statistic; however, the Kings only scored more than two goals in one game during that loosing streak. To add perspective to these numbers, the Kings have scored at least three goals in every game they have won this season (when counting shootout victories as a goal) and have only lost once when scoring at least three goals. It seems simple enough: if the Kings score at least three goals in a game, they will likely win.

I fully believe that the Kings have the potential to score three goals in a game most nights. I do not, however, have complete confidence that the team will actually do so because the Kings have historically been a streaky team that struggles in the offensive zone especially during losing streaks. What happens after this ongoing win streak is inevitably snapped? Will the team be able to hold on to its confidence or will they revert back the the team of a few weeks ago? It remains to be seen, but I can offer some optimistic insight. The team truly looks far better this year than it has in recent seasons. The days of expecting routs are over as, so far, most losses have been in tight games. The veteran core has shown that they are still competitive and goaltending has been solid in the young season. Throughout the win streak, the team has shown grit in the face of the other team grabbing an early lead or tying the game late in the third which has been lacking in the past several seasons. It is exciting to watch the team again because there is a general feeling that this is the year the Kings will truly push to make a triumphant return to the playoffs.

Turning a devastating loosing streak into a winning streak takes determination. The Kings are showing that. This ongoing streak is amazing, but it will not last forever. What the Kings can make permanent is putting in hard work, fostering chemistry on and off the ice, and playing with a confident belief that they can win in any situation. If they do so, they will not only build off of this current streak, but will continue to put pucks in the net and win important games throughout the season.

Image Credit: Daily Jefferson County Union