Puck Daddy’s NHL 2014-15 Emoji Preview: Los Angeles Kings
(The 2014-15 NHL season is nearly upon us, and attempting to handicap the winners and losers can sometimes leave us speechless. So we decided to break down all 30 teams with the next best thing to words: Emojis!)
Last Season In Emojis
Last Season, In Summary
Ho-hum. Nothing big happened in Los Angeles.
Well, not during the regular season, that is.
The Kings used the regular season as a tuneup for the playoffs. They finished with a 46-28-8 record. In the Western Conference, a 100-point season like LA’s will get you a No. 6 seed in the playoffs. No biggie for the Kings because the playoffs is when the magic happens.
For their first act, the Kings performed a disappearing act. LA vanished in the Aztec Tomb, falling down 0-3 to the San Jose Sharks; only to make a historic come back and win four-straight. Next they went toe-to-toe with freeway frenemy Anaheim. In a series that took only 20 years to come to fruition, the Kings and Ducks battled to a seventh game. Anaheim proceeded to lay down and get run over repeatedly like two-day old roadkill.
In a thrilling seven game series, Los Angeles won the Stanley Cup after defeating Chicago in overtime.
Oh wait. My mistake. They had to play a team from the Eastern Conference to win the Cup.
It was the NHL’s dream American series, media-market wise, Los Angeles versus New York. The Rangers did put up a bit of a fight taking three of five games to overtime; including two double-OT tilts.
On an Alec Martinez goal in double-overtime of Game 5, the Kings won their second Cup in three years.
Last Season's Definitive Highlight
Like there could be anything better?
Off-Season Transactions
For the most part, GM Dean Lombardi kept the band together only shedding a few pieces in the off-season; however, he’s bumping right against the cap.
Matt Greene was the first to re-sign with the team; inking a four-year, $10-million extension. Greene had been a workhorse of a defenseman prior to the most recent lockout. When play resumed, he was beset with a series of injuries that allowed him to play (including playoffs) in only 14 games in 2013 and 58 games in 2013-2014.
Marian Gaborik was next to re-up. The 32-year-old forward, acquired midseason from Columbus, received a seven-year, $34.125-million extension. Like his team, he took off in the playoffs with 22 points in 26 games.
Dwight King picked up his second Cup ring with the Kings and a new contract. The serviceable forward will be around for another three-years at a cap-hit of $1.95-million per.
Center Colin Fraser and defenseman Willie Mitchell were allowed to walk. Promising forward Linden Vey was dealt to Vancouver where he would later ink a one-year deal.
One area the Kings struggled the most this season is in the goal scoring category. LA was in the NHL cellar - surrounded by all non-playoff teams - in nearly all total goal scoring categories like goals per game and total goals (both 26th). Taking the shootout out of the mix, they lost more one-goal games than they won at 16.
Anze Kopitar flies under the national radar as one of the best players in the NHL. He was nominated for the Selke Trophy, and rightfully so, but unfortunately without the support of the east, he's not going to win it. It's stupid. The big center led the team in points with 29 goals and 70 points.
Now there is much ado about Dustin Brown and Mike Richards. Let's start with captain Brown. He had a terrible regular season. He topped out at 27 points in 79 games; his worst point total since '05-'06 when he was a sophomore. Kopitar feeding Brown the puck is going to help increase scoring chances. As will having Gaborik on his line. Gabbo's regular season contribution to the Kings was strong scoring 16-points (5-11=16) in 19 games played.
Then there is Mike Richards. He was once considered to be on the same playing field as his teammates Kopitar and Jeff Carter. Now, after a summer where he was thought to be a potential buyout victim, Richards is aiming to contribute more to the defending champs than being their fourth line pivot.
Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson made up two-thirds of "That 70s Line" with Carter during the postseason. The trio were a big reason why LA made it to another Final and with a full season ahead of them, only good things can continue to come.
Gaborik quickly found his home in the Kings' lineup after a deadline day trade. He posted 16 points in 19 regular season games and then led LA in goals in the playoffs with 14 while recording 22 points. Meanwhile, Conn Smythe winner Justin Williams will likely continue to be a possession monster and be everyone's first pick for a big Game 7 goal come playoff time.
No team was better defensively last season than the Kings. The champs allowed 2.05 goals per game and posted an NHL-best 55.74-percent Fenwick. Only Mitchell left in the off-season, so the unit will continue to perform at a high rate.
Everyone knew how good Drew Doughty could be; it was up to him to show it. He posted 10 goals and 37 points, along with a monster 58-percent Corsi, via War on Ice, yet somehow finished sixth in the Norris Trophy voting. Maybe this year will be the year the voters finally get it.
Slava Voynov was right behind Doughty in scoring from the blue line with four goals and 34 points. Jake Muzzing was right behind him with 24 points, but also performed well in possession, posting a 6.06 Corsi-Rel. Western Conference Final and Stanley Cup hero Alec Martinez actually led the unit in goals with 11 all while averaging 15:40 of ice time, lowest among the defensive regulars.
Jonathan Quick will take the net as the Kings undisputed No. 1 goalie. That should be a surprise to no one.
Quick was hit by the injury bug last year; however, in 49 appearances, he still managed to post a 27-17-4 record which included six shut-outs, a 2.07 GAA, and .915 save percentage. His statistical success led to his picking up the Jennings Trophy at the NHL Awards.
Backing up Quick is Martin Jones ... "WHO?!" That's exactly what everyone said when he took the net for the Kings in Quick's absence. He ended up being a pretty good replacement. In 19 games played - his first in the NHL - he was 12-6-0 with four (4!!) shut-outs and 1.81 goals-against.
Probable Text Conversation Within Organization
Special Teams
The power play needs work. It came in at No. 27 in the NHL at a 15.1-percent clip. The Kings had the fifth most power play opportunities (284) in the league, and only scored 43 goals. This further proves the team's weakness is in goal scoring. Kopitar lead the team with 10 power play goals.
With a good defense tends to come an above average penalty kill. LA was 11th on the PK in the league, and probably would be better if they didn't take the third-most penalties in the NHL (296).
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GM and Coach
Darryl Sutter is entering his fourth season as head coach. Unless the team absolutely tanks to begin the season, or he decides he's over it, he'll be around at the end. Same goes for GM Dean Lombardi.
In January 2013, both men signed contract extensions that will keep them in Los Angeles until, at least, the end of the 2016-17 season. Assistant coach John Stevens was promoted to "associate head coach," a hint that he's next in line whenever Sutter decides to move on.
And Now, A Blooper
Not so much of a blooper as a miscarriage of justice that has now been corrected by rule changes.
The Potential Best Thing About This Team
Is 'everything' an acceptable answer? This team doesn't need to find its identity or learn each others tendencies. Keeping the group together that won without adding consequential outsiders (i.e. Adam Cracknell) to the mix will sustain chemistry left over from the Cup run.
The Potential Worst Thing About This Team
Jonathan Quick is injured for a sustained period of time, and Martin Jones can't repeat last season's performance, and/or (feels like a broken record) the team can't score goals, again.
Single Emoji Prediction
If they can overcome the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover (if it actually exists), and make it to the playoffs in a tough Pacific Division/Western Conference and stay relatively healthy, the Kings have all the opportunity in the world to repeat as champions.
