The start to the season for the Los Angeles Kings has been a bit of a rollercoaster. They started off on the road for the first seven games. Injuries stopped them from being able to put their best roster forward. From losing top defenseman Drew Doughty in preseason to Alex Turcotte missing some time to Darcy Kuemper going down twice there have been a few setbacks.
When it came to the players on the ice, there were a few surprises. Alex Laferriere (nine goals and 15 points), Turcotte, and Brandt Clarke (two goals and 13 points) have had scorching starts to the season whether it be on the scoresheet or for Turcotte, the way his hockey IQ and all-around work ethic have made it possible for him to make positive impacts on the ice. Speaking of landing on the scoresheet, the Kings’ defensive group has done a lot of that, having the second-most goals by a defenseman in the entire league. While the hot start from the young guns is encouraging for what the future may hold, and the defensive group has been contributing to the offensive production a bunch, a few players who were expected to play key roles have had discouraging starts.
The elephant in the room has been Quinton Byfield. After showing massive signs of improvement during the preseason, it seems as if he has been missing half a step, being largely unimpactful on most nights. With just two goals and nine points through 18 games played, the explosive, powerful, and extremely skilled forward has had a tough time picking up points. The Kings’ leading goal scorer last season, Trevor Moore, has also had trouble finding the back of the net with only one goal throughout the first 15 games. He seems to have started to find a groove now with two goals in the last three games but to start the season it was a concerning storyline.
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With Doughty out, it presented both Clarke and Jordan Spence the opportunity to rise to the occasion and handle bigger roles. While Clarke has been phenomenal for the most part, the same can’t be said about Spence. There are times when his quick feet and puck-moving ability are on display, but on the other hand, there seems to be too many defensive breakdowns and a lack of awareness in terms of coverage. Out of the “regular” defensemen on the roster, he has the least amount of points with four.
Through all of the highs and lows the Kings have gone through so far, they sit second in the Pacific Division with 21 points and a 9-6-3 record. With seven games remaining in November, the Kings have an opportunity to give themselves a good shot at getting ahead in the standings.
Kings’ Remaining November Schedule
During the next two weeks, the Kings will play five out of seven games at home. They have thrived at Crypto.com Arena this season currently holding a 4-1-1 record. It’s where they have played some of their best hockey and now they have the chance to capitalize on that.
Five out of the next seven games are also against teams that are .500 or below. The Kings have done a pretty good job at picking up wins against below-average teams this season and a couple of them are teams they have already played. With a 6-2-1 record against teams that are currently .500 or below they should be able to string a few wins together as they play the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks.
The Kings have a relatively easy schedule to finish off November, but it’s also important to note that they do play the best team in the NHL, the Winnipeg Jets, before the month is up along with the Ottawa Senators who put up eight goals against the Kings the first time they played this season.
Winning all seven is the goal, but a more realistic ask would be for them to win at least five. If the Kings can come out of November winning five out of their next seven games, they will have done their part in setting themselves up in the standings.
The Kings are also getting some reinforcements to kick off the next seven games and they couldn’t have come at a better time. Turcotte has been activated off injured reserve and is expected to draw back into the lineup tonight on that first line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Tanner Jeannot also makes his return after serving his three-game suspension for his wildly unnecessary hit on Brock Boeser.
Why These Next 7 Games Are Crucial
Half of getting ahead in the standings lands on the Kings to perform, but the other half lies on their division rivals. What makes this an even better situation for the Kings is that most of the teams they are competing with at the top of the Pacific Division right now, have tougher schedules over the next two weeks.
The Calgary Flames who are tied with the Kings in points, play four teams above .500 in their next seven games including teams like the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, and Senators. The Vegas Golden Knights play eight games to finish November with four of them being against teams .500 or above. The Golden Knights play the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Senators, and Jets. The Edmonton Oilers also play four teams above .500 in the next two weeks going up against the Maple Leafs, Senators, Wild, and Rangers. The Canucks are the only other team to only play two teams above .500 during the rest of November, as they play both the Rangers and Senators.
Not only is this a great opportunity for the Kings to rack up some points, but it’s crucial that they do once you take a look at what’s in store for them in the first couple of weeks in December.
The Kings play five games to kick off December, with four of them being against elite teams. Going up against the Dallas Stars, Wild, New Jersey Devils, and Rangers all pretty much one after the other is not going to be even remotely easy. That’s a tough five-game stretch the Kings are going to have to pull through and if they capitalize on the schedule they have to end November, the losses that may add up to start December won’t hurt as much.
This next month is going to tell us a lot about the 2024-25 Kings. Can they beat teams they should be beating on a consistent basis? Can they hang and compete with the league’s elite? Can they recognize the opportunity they have right now and dig deep to pull a few wins together? These are all questions that will be answered relatively soon.
