Kings Face Crucial Stretch: Home-Ice Dominance Key in Playoff Push

The Los Angeles Kings are beginning a crucial stretch of their season that could determine their playoff positioning and home-ice advantage. Their next four out of six opponents are all the top teams in the league, including the Colorado Avalanche today, who have won 11 straight games at home, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and the Edmonton Oilers. 

This stretch will test how real the Kings are because despite winning four straight games, three of which were at home, The Kings haven’t shown any confidence that they can win on the road to this point.

The crazy thing is that the Kings are the only team above .500 in the Western Conference with a sub.500 record on the road. Even teams with fewer wins and more losses, including the St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, and Vancouver Canucks are all better on the road. 

King’s Upcoming Schedule

Home Dominance on the Line

With an impressive 26-3-4 home mark, the Kings have controlled play at Crypto.com Arena this year. Their most recent 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers extended their home winning streak to seven and set a franchise record with a 15-game home points streak. This home-ice advantage will be priceless as they face top teams.

Despite this impressive record at home, the Kings have struggled to win games in the playoffs. They’ve been better on the road, but either way, it’s reasonable to say that they have gone home in the first round the last three seasons because they haven’t had home ice. 

Colorado Avalanche

The Kings' next game is tonight at the Colorado Avalanche, which has won ten in a row at home. It should be a good test for LA. The Avalanche recently won 5-2 over the Detroit Red Wings, showing their offense and defense power. Shutting down Colorado's high-scoring forwards and getting past their solid defense will be the formula for the Kings to win.

Toronto Maple Leafs

After the brief trip to Denver, the Kings host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, who beat them 6-2 earlier this season. The Toronto offense, led by Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, has always been elite, which was demonstrated in their 7-2 thrashing of the Philadelphia Flyers last week. The Kings must harden their defense and score on their chances to avenge their defeat.

Defensive Battle with the Jets

The Kings also welcome the top team in the Western Conference, the Winnipeg Jets, a team built around strong defense and stellar goaltending. Winnipeg is the top defensive team in the NHL (172 GA), with the Kings sitting second (178 GA). The Jets are led by outstanding netminder and likely Vezina trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck. 

The two teams have met twice this season and split 1-1. The losers in both matchups scored one goal, making the season series a battle of defensive wills. That will likely be the storyline for this next matchup, as both teams have two of the best defenses in the league, so it should be a hard-fought game. 

Pivotal Clash with Edmonton

The most crucial of these games will be against the Edmonton Oilers, chasing the Kings in the standings. Edmonton's best line, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, has been a tough matchup for the Kings in recent history. 

However, given both McDavid’s and Draisaitl’s injuries, it remains to be seen if they will be in the lineup. Given their injury history and penchant for tormenting the Kings, it would not be surprising to see both be ready for that pivotal game. 

This is a big game. Whether McDavid and Draisaitl miss one of the two matchups in April will still matter, as both teams will fight for home-ice advantage in a potential first-round playoff series.

This will be one of two times they meet in April, and it will likely decide who will have the home-ice advantage between these two teams. The Kings have been fighting with the Oilers for the second seed in the Pacific division all season, but with Edmonton’s recent skid, they’ve climbed past them and have a chance to overtake the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Players to Watch 

The primary contributors must step up for the Kings to weather this tough stretch.

Kevin Fiala has been a key offense-igniting catalyst, showing his playmaking ability and scoring acumen.

Quinton Byfield has emerged as a valuable two-way center, giving the Kings the depth they've long desired in the middle of the ice.

Anze Kopitar, the veteran stalwart, continues to set the tone for the team offensively and defensively.

Both goaltenders, Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich, have been playing well. However, Kuemper is the best player all-around and should get the start with his strong net play, which will be required to negate these high-scoring offenses.

Playoff Implications

The Kings are currently second in the Pacific Division with a record of 40-21-9 and 89 points. This stretch might secure them in the second position or see them lose the Oilers in home-ice advantage contention. With the Kings' remarkable home victories, maintaining that advantage might be crucial in a potential playoff series.

Kings Outlook

The Kings' stretch ahead provides the opportunity to become defined—an opportunity that will demand focus, commitment, and determination. Completing this test successfully would strengthen the Kings' image as actual playoff threats and solidify their standing among the NHL's top home-ice squads.

The journey to the playoffs never gets easy, and for the Kings, it's about competing for home ice.