Playing 31 of the first 49 games on the road is no beach walk. The Kings have seen two seven-game road trips (one to open the season) during that time and have been more compounded schedule-wise for road games than any other team in the league. That takes a toll as time zones change, and so do the room service and check-outs. The 12-14-5 record indicates this: despite overarching themes of not controlling matchups on the road [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/kings-road-trip-struggles-as-hiller-implements-key-adjustments], the Kings have had moments where they have looked unbeatable when wearing their whites. That record, however, has reflected the difficulty with playing the amount they have on the road. Uncharacteristic, really, as Adrian Kempe had said in an interview with TNT after their win against the Florida Panthers on home ice that they have traditionally been an excellent road team in seasons past. Things have flipped for these auspicious Kings. They are underwater on the road but have the best home record in the NHL, at 15-3-1. The Kings have handled themselves well at Crypto.com and have proven to be a matchup nightmare while on home ice. For the Kings, there's excellent news up ahead. Twenty-two out of their last 33 games will be played on home ice. While I don't personally believe that a .816 winning percentage can be maintained as games get tighter down the stretch, there is plenty of legroom with the idea that they can hover around the .600% mark or higher. That being the case, most fans will think of their recent skid as a far-distant memory despite the red flags that occurred. Coming back home and, for the most part, staying home is a bright light down this dark road that the Kings have faced down the stretch the past few seasons. The Kings haven't found a way to go in 'hot' while making the playoffs. Instead, they played inconsistent hockey with lukewarm results, then tried to go against the Oilers, who have scorched their way into two out of their last three playoff berths. It is also not just a team-wide aspect but the aspect of having more favorable matchups at home. It involves getting Drew Doughty up to speed and reconfiguring roles for players [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/kings-anderson-sidelined-by-injury-as-team-stays-committed-to-the-plan] with lesser ice time and those who have sat while fully healthy. Home cooking is the vast majority of the Kings' menu for the rest of the year. While maintaining their first-half success seems improbable, their next 22 games at home likely create a mirage over the real issues plaguing the squad, as reflected in their last 10-plus games. Take it as you will, as the Kings can utilize the saturated home schedule to finally go into the playoffs hot. It also can be that some of the older players, such as Anze Kopitar (ice cold in January), can heat back up and get back to playing at his pre-January pace. Will these aspects matter against these juggernaut teams out West come playoff time? Will their dominant home record stand as teams upgrade around them, while they stand pat with the Doughty return as their 'upgrade'? Only time will tell. THNKeithFriesKeysJan26
