The Kings Are Further From Contention Than They Might Think

The Los Angeles Kings fell once again to the Edmonton Oilers in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and an acquisition of one of the league's top stars may be necessary to become a serious contender

With the Los Angeles Kings’ offseason beginning earlier than they had hoped, it may be time to assess if this current roster has what it takes to get to the next level. It was just a few seasons ago the team was filled with promising top prospects. Moving forward, playoffs are not a given and changes must be made.

What Went Wrong?

It is hard to pinpoint one spot where the Kings fell short in their series against the Oilers. Los Angeles struggled to keep up with Edmonton’s speed and passing and gave up 22 goals in 5 games. While these totals are far from impressive, Los Angeles did not get poor performances from their goaltenders.

Cam Talbot started the first three games, going 1-2-0 with a .861 save percentage (SV%), 5.30 goals against average (GAA), and 0.2 goals saved above expected (GSAx), according to Moneypuck. David Rittich played the final two games, going 0-2-0 with a .872 SV%, 2.56 GAA, and 0.1 GSAx. Outside of the Kings’ 1-0 Game 4 loss, their goaltending was pummeled with high-danger scoring chances.

Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)