""It's been a climb. Probably didn't look very good a while ago," said Kings interim coach D.J. Smith, who could lose the interim part of that title after going 11-6-6 after replacing Jim Hiller behind the bench with 23 games to play. "It's a credit to the guys, the leadership. They played playoff hockey for a while now. And it's allowed us this opportunity.""
"Actually, crediting the Kings with playing playoff hockey isn't necessarily a compliment since the team hasn't won a postseason series since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2014. But it's been more than a decade since the Kings have entered the playoffs carrying this kind of momentum and they have a few players who are ready to make an impact."
The Kings faced significant challenges before the NHL trade deadline, including a losing streak and injuries. General manager Ken Holland opted for minor trades rather than major changes. This decision proved wise as the Kings surged, earning points in 16 of their last 20 games and securing a playoff berth. In contrast, the Ducks, despite making the playoffs for the first time since 2018, faltered at the end of the season, losing eight of their last ten games and missing home-ice advantage.
Read at Los Angeles Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]