Western Confrence Standings Watch: Can The Kings Catch Edmonton And Anaheim?

The Western Conference playoff race is beginning to heat up. With the Oilers and Golden Knights clinching a playoff spot on Saturday, Los Angeles is now four points behind Vegas for the first seed, three points behind Edmonton for the second seed, and two points behind Anaheim for the third seed. 

It's still not clear as to how the seedings will look in the division; no team has locked in a spot yet, making the last few games an incredible watch to end the season. It's a log-jam featuring the Kings, Ducks, Golden Knights, and Oilers, all battling for the third, second, and first seed. 

Here's a look at the current playoff standings at the top of the division:

1. Vegas Golden Knights - 37-26-17, 91 points

2. Edmonton Oilers - 40-30-10, 90 points

3. Anaheim Ducks - 42-32-5, 89 points

4. Los Angeles Kings - 34-26-19, 87 points

All four teams have their flaws, making it possible for the seedings to change at the end of the regular season. The Pacific Division, especially, has been one of the worst divisions we've seen in a very long time, so it wouldn't surprise anyone if Los Angeles moves up to second or third to end the season.

 If the Kings win out their remaining regular-season games and Edmonton loses one of its two remaining games, it's very possible LA can finish at best as the third seed. 

To finish higher than that, they'll need Anaheim to lose two of their last three games or lose all of them. Vegas at this point looks like it will finish at the top of the division, now holding a four-point lead over Los Angeles, and since firing its head coach, they are 5-0-1. 

That would be remarkable if Los Angeles could somehow secure home ice in the first round of the playoffs, something that was out of the question just a week ago. 

The most important thing is for the Kings to draw a favorable matchup in the postseason. A team like Edmonton, which is missing Leon Draisaitl for probably most of the first round of the playoffs, can be a favorable matchup, or against the Ducks, who are a young team and have had trouble playing consistent team defense.

One way or another, we will just have to wait until next week to find out who the Kings will be playing or if they will be out of the playoffs.  

Let’s take a look at the big games to watch around the league for the next couple of days and who Kings fans should be rooting for.

Unless Vancouver can pull off this upset like they did when they defeated the Colorado Avalanche last week or keep this game close, it's unlikely they can win this game on the road against Anaheim, which desperately needs this win to stay afloat in the playoff race. 

The Avs already have the No. 1 seed locked up in the Central Division, while the Oilers are battling Anaheim and LA for the No. 2 seed. But, Edmonton didn't look good against LA today, so it's very possible Colorado can win this game. But if Edmonton wants to win this game, they can, recognizing the urgency and the potential for home ice on the line. 

San Jose is pretty much out of playoff contention at this point, while Nashville is still fighting with the Kings to secure the final wild-card spot. At home, it's very likely the Predators come out and do everything they can to win this game. 

Vegas has looked very good under John Tortorella, going 5-0-1 under him and defeating the Avalanche in a thrilling overtime game on Saturday. Winnipeg, meanwhile, is also fighting LA and Nashville for the final playoff spot, essentially needing to win all its remaining games, so it should be very motivated to pull off this upset. 

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