The Los Angeles Kings have everything going for them…Or do they?
Winning 3 out of the last 4 sounds good however a position needs a bit of an adjustment. Is the defensive play just offensive?
The Kings look like a competitive team in the early going. The shortened season is early and the Kings are making the most of their opportunities on the offensive end. As of today, the Kings are scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game. They have created chances unlike last year and captain Anze Kopitar is proving he still has the scoring touch.
What about the defense? Aside from newcomer Olli Maatta, the defensive core is the same as last year.
The problem is, aside from the series against the Colorado Avalanche, they seem a bit disoriented.
This could be cleared up by more time in practice or just slowing the game down defensively. Often they would have trouble clearing the puck or generating offense from their zone. This could be a new system put in by Coach McLellan or maybe they are still adjusting to playing hockey again.
Whether it is a new system or something mentally they need to make adjustments. The defense is not horrible just needs some fine-tuning. Los Angeles has a goals-against-average of 2.28 so the goaltenders have been holding their own.
The Kings seem to be playing a different style offensively and that is getting them the chances they need and, if they can get it together defensively, have a really competitive team that can do some damage in the playoffs.
This team is primed for success and are a contender to make some noise
What do you think of the team as a whole?
Yes, it is early into a 56 game season; however, if the team played like this the rest of the season, would you be happy?
Featured Image: Sarah Avampato/jewelsofthecrown.com
