As the wins pile up, the nucleus flourishes and the new additions contribute, the Kings have built confidence for a rigorous push through the final quarter of the regular season.
“It’s up there for sure. I think we definitely feel like we can play with the best teams and I think we showed up and really showed that we can play with these teams that have made it far in the playoffs,” said winger Adrian Kempe, who scored twice in a win over defending champion Colorado on Thursday, the Kings’ season-high fifth consecutive victory.
Next up for the Kings will be the Nashville Predators in the rubber match of a season series that has seen the Kings win in a shootout and fall in regulation in a pair of showdowns in the Music City.
Kempe noted that special teams haven’t been as sharp for the Kings lately – it has been 10 games since they outscored an opponent on special teams, where they’ve trailed 8-4 over that stretch – but five-on-five play has been sound for the Kings (38-20-8, 84 points). That’s been especially true on offense. Since the All-Star break, the Kings have scored the fourth-most goals per game five-on-five in the NHL. They’ve also scored the third-most goals five-on-four, thanks to slathering on seven power-play goals in three games right after the pause.
“Our 5-on-5 game has been really good lately, it’s been winning us games. If we can get all of the puzzle pieces together here, we’re going to have a good stretch,” Kempe said.
Kempe is one of several Kings enjoying a good stretch. He has four goals in his past three games and he’s eclipsed both the 50-point and 30-goal marks for the second consecutive season. Once a beacon of inconsistency, Kempe has grown to be a steady, prolific producer who also creates tempo and excels on zone entries.
“He’s been hot for the majority of the season. Yeah, he’s had a couple bumps in the road, but it’s always a safe bet to give him the puck,” linemate and team captain Anze Kopitar said.
Kopitar’s three assists represented his second performance of three or more points in a game in the past 10 days. He poured in four goals in a 6-5 shootout win over Winnipeg on Feb. 28.
“I know there’s a lot of talk about the goals he’s scoring and the offense that he’s putting up, but it has never come at the cost of what he really does well,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “He takes care of the group, the team. He does things right all the time.”
The third member of the top line, Quinton Byfield, will ride a five-game point streak into the match with Nashville (31-24-7, 69 points). Like Byfield, third-liner Gabe Vilardi has five points in his past five outings. The Kings’ second line, which features two former Predators in Kevin Fiala and Viktor Arvidsson, has produced 10 points in the past three matches, and could soon get Trevor Moore back. He returned against Colorado, where he attended college at the University of Denver, and skated on the fourth line Thursday. Defenseman Sean Durzi (upper body) did not play and should be considered doubtful for Saturday.
While the Kings’ existing core has thrived, their newest additions have also made an impact. Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov notched a goal and an assist in his past two games while providing steady defensive play since his debut three games ago. Winger Zack MacEwen dressed for a second straight game despite Moore’s return, and offered a physical presence with two hits in just seven minutes. Goalie Joonas Korpisalo moved to 2-0-0 as a King, neutralizing a potent Colorado attack to the tune of a .933 save percentage.
“All three, great characters who fit right into our locker room, and that’s a really good thing,” Kopitar said.
Nashville is also growing accustomed to some new faces and preparing itself for the return of a familiar one. After having one general manager – the soon-to-retire David Poile – for its entire franchise history, they’ll be guided by Barry Trotz, the man who was once the only coach the organization ever knew.
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Ahead of that transition, Poile was active at the trade deadline, shipping out the likes of Mattias Ekholm, Tanner Jeannot and Nino Neiderreiter. Though Nashville is still technically a candidate to return to the wild-card position they finished with last season, middling performance and injuries to key players like Filip Forsberg (upper body) and Ryan Johansen (leg) motivated the selloff.
NASHVILLE AT KINGS
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/Radio: Bally Sports West/iHeart Radio