The All-Star Break has been very busy for the Los Angeles Kings organization.
They've moved on from their four-plus year tenured coach in Todd McLellan, promoted Jim Hiller on an interim basis, and finally, added DJ Smith from the Senators.
Smith was let go from the Senators on December 18th after going 131-154-32, a .446 career points percentage as his only Head Coach role in his career in four-plus seasons in Ottawa.
The players know this was on them, and they've had plenty of time to marinate. They are set to practice for the first time since the fortunate win over Nashville on New Year's Eve. Rob Blake confirmed in his press conference that they didn't play well and still won.
The practice flow will be different, and the message will be definitive. It is time to salvage the season.
The Kings remarkably hold a playoff spot with games in hand. As they ride the fine line between playoff aspirations and disaster, they are set to match up with their most commonly faced foe over the course of the last two seasons. The Edmonton Oilers will be in town.
The Oilers have rattled off win after win, chasing the NHL record of 17 in a row (!). They sit at 16 and play in Vegas, then have a chance to set a new record against Anaheim on Friday. The Kings will get a chance to play a team on a back-to-back for their first game following the break.
The game is certainly not the Super Bowl we will all be viewing the next day, but it is a collision course to test the group's mettle following significant organizational changes.
Hiller, the newly minted Head Coach, will have two days to make his changes. Smith will have the same time to acclimate to the group before the arduous task of playing a team coming off either historical implications or, at a minimum, two games under their belt, with a fresh game played the night prior.
The game represents an emotional night against a rival, a foe they have played more in the last two seasons than any other team across the NHL. Added to it are the extra emotions that come from being dispatched by their very hands in the playoffs for two seasons in a row. A win solidifies the new reign at the helm with Hiller and Smith.
The win is an excellent boost to the union of Hiller and Smith in their new positions. A loss is not a pivotal, end-of-the-world scenario, but it is certainly starting the tenure of the two new bench bosses on the back foot.
It's ironic that Edmonton replaces their coach and goes on a 26-6 run, and the Kings are set to face them right out of the break after replacing their coach. They will still be without Arvidsson and Lizotte while facing what could be an excellent opportunity to kick-start their stretch run.
Can the Kings replicate something similar to the Oilers' post-coach change? It looks unlikely, as the Oilers have managed to do so while rattling off 16 straight wins, but the Kings need to stay the course of hovering above a .600 winning hockey percentage down the stretch.
The test starts Thursday for what should be the practice of the year to date. Hiller, Smith, and even Trent Yawney will have an enormous task of righting the ship for a pivotal game that could get them going in a hurry.