Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Kings face tough odds to stay in playoffs

Mike Cammalleri, Mike Richards

Calgary Flames left wing Mike Cammalleri, left, and Los Angeles Kings center Mike Richards battle for the puck during the third period of their NHL hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, in Los Angeles. The Flames won 1-0. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

AP

Many people probably already wondered this, but last night’s 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche really makes this question a necessity: are the Los Angeles Kings going to miss the playoffs? Let’s break it down.

The standings

First things first, glance at the West playoff picture.

standingswest

James

(click to enlarge)

The nerdy perspective

Los Angeles would be in the playoffs if they began today but the Kings aren’t in Sports Club Stats’ top eight over the long haul. The trusty Web site puts the Calgary Flames’ odds significantly higher (40.1 percent chance), while the Kings (29.1 percent) edge the Dallas Stars (22.1 percent) for ninth place.

The Kings’ loss to Colorado dropped their odds by a whopping 12.2 percent, so even unfeeling supercomputers* hated that defeat.

What the Kings need to do

By Sports Club’s calculations, Los Angeles likely needs to churn out an 11-6-4 record to make the playoffs. (That record gives them a 73 percent chance.) A 12-6-3 (86.3 percent) or 13-6-2 (94.1 percent) mark would really do the job, though.

Can they do it? Teams can certainly overcome tough schedules, but they can swing the tide of close battles in a parity-laced league

Kings’ schedule overall

The Kings have 21 games left this season, with nine at home and 12 on the road.

The good news is that might be better on the road than at home (perhaps because of their not-so-thrilling style). The Kings are a mediocre 15-13-4 at the Staples Center and a scrappy 12-9-8 abroad.

Los Angeles better retain its road warrior status coming up, though, because the next few weeks good get ugly.

Big challenges up ahead

After a home game against Chicago on Saturday, the Kings play six of seven games on the road, with plenty of tough Central Division matches (only one coming against Columbus). Mid-March provides a reward of five out of six home games, but then they end March with a rigorous four-game trip through the Northwest.

With that in mind, a March 28 match against the Flames in Calgary could have gigantic playoff implications. It’s also quite possible that a home-and-home series with the San Jose Sharks could very well make-or-break their playoff hopes.

(Oh, in case you’re wondering, the Flames play 14 out of their 22 remaining contests in Calgary, which is probably why those foreboding supercomputers seem to love them so much.)
***

Looking at the situation, I don’t feel fantastic about the Kings’ playoff hopes - especially with the seventh-seeded Phoenix Coyotes building themselves a nice cushion. If GM Dean Lombardi believes his job’s in jeopardy, he better trade for reinforcements because this won’t be easy.

* Note: I assume all formulas are created by unfeeling supercomputers. I am not a man of science.