Kings Playoff Watch: Biggest Games Around The NHL To Watch This Week

With the Western Conference a tight race yet again this season, we will take a look at the standings and games to watch across the league as the Kings look to secure a playoff spot and move up in the standings. 

LA is now sitting at No. 5, tied with Seattle for fourth place with 67 points after beating the Columbus Jackets and earning a point in their overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. 

The Kings also got help on Tuesday, with Seattle falling to Nashville and San Jose losing to Buffalo, which kept the standings in the Pacific Division tight despite the Kings losing. 

This is the most important several weeks of the stretch this season, and if the Kings beat the Islanders again as they did last week and the New Jersey Devils in their back-to-back games coming up, they'll be in a prime position to continue climbing up the rankings. 

Here's a look at the current playoff standings in the middle of the Pacific and Central Division:

2. Oilers - 37-25-8, 72 points

3. Golden Knights - 29-22-14, 72 points

4. Kraken - 29-25-9, 67 points

5. Kings - 26-23-15, 67 points

6. Sharks - 30-26-6, 66 points

4. Mammoth - 34-26-5, 73 points

5. Predators - 29-27-8, 66 points

All seven of these teams are bunched up together in the Pacific and Central divisions, respectively, and only four teams will likely qualify for the postseason. So, let's take a look at the big games to watch around the league for the next couple of days and who you should be rooting for.

Sharks at Bruins - The San Jose Sharks are just one point behind the Kings and Kraken, so a loss against the Bruins will take the pressure off Los Angeles for that final postseason spot. San Jose has also been in a slump recently, posting a 3-5-3 record in their last eight games and currently on a three-game losing streak, while the Bruins have been one of the hottest teams, especially at home, winning 13 consecutive games at TD Garden. The last time San Jose won on the road was on Jan. 27 when they defeated the Vancouver Canucks. 

Avalanche at Kraken - This is another big game that will help the Kings if Seattle loses, because both teams are currently tied at that fourth spot in the division, so a Seattle loss and a Kings win will put Los Angeles in sole possession of the fourth seed. Colorado has arguably been the best team in the league this season and is 8-2 in its last 10 games, continuing its dominance on both sides of the ice, while Seattle is on a three-game losing streak.

The Kraken are also not a good team at home, with a 16-12-5 record this season at the Climate Pledge Arena; meanwhile, Colorado is one of the best road teams, posting a 20-6-5 record away from home. 

Oilers at Stars - Once again, Kings fans are gonna root for their heated rival team to lose. Dallas has been playing excellent hockey in their last 13 games, 12-1, going undefeated in the month of February, and before losing in that heavyweight matchup against the Avalanche in a shootout, they had won 10 straight, so the Oilers hands are gonna be full here, especially with this game being in Dallas. 

Oilers at Blues - The Oilers have to play Dallas, then end their four-game road trip against an easier opponent in the Blues. Depending on how the game against the Stars goes, this could be a trap game for the Oilers, especially if they get tired against Dallas. Despite the Blues being 4-1 in their last five games, this will still be a tough one for them to beat Edmonton. 

Sharks at Canadiens - The Canadiens have been on the road in 8 of their last 11 games, and they will finally head home to take on the Sharks, where they're 18-11-2. Montreal will also have three days off before this game, while San Jose will be playing their third game in five nights, so Montreal will have a very good chance of winning. 

Penguins at Mammoth - Utah currently has 73 points and is sitting in fourth place, a seven-point lead over the Predators in the Central Division. This will be a tough one for the Penguins to win. Despite sitting at No. 2 in the Metropolitan Division, they're currently 32-17-15, right at .500, and have a tough road schedule coming up, playing the Golden Knights on Thursday before taking on the Mammoth on Saturday. Pittsburgh is an average team on the road this season, with a 16-8-7 record away from home, so it will most likely be a loss. 

There are still a lot of games that the Kings will be monitoring over the next few days and weeks that aren't mentioned here, but these are the biggest games to have your eyes on. It will certainly be a very exciting end to the regular season, from tomorrow through April 16, for fans waiting to see who gets in and who is out. Stay tuned for more updates. 

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