The Los Angeles Kings seem to be trending in the right direction, with two straight victories to kick off a six-game road trip.
Not only were those wins huge for the teamâ€s record and place in the standings, but it was also against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had a hot start to the campaign, and the Atlantic Division leaders Montreal Canadiens.
In this weekâ€s edition of The Hockey News†power rankings by Jason Chen, the Kings were recognized for their recent performances and made a big jump compared to their previous ranking.
In this weekâ€s ranking, Los Angeles has climbed their way into the top 10, taking seventh place. They stand between the Canadiens in eighth place and the Dallas Stars in sixth.
There were several question marks surrounding head coach Jim Hiller and his Kings in the early stages of this campaign. However, Los Angeles has been on a nice little run over the last 20 days or so.
“There was a little concern early in the season, but theyâ€ve gone 7-2-2 since,†Chen wrote.
He also highlighted the teamâ€s last two victories over Pittsburgh and Montreal. Against the Pens, the Kings soared in a third-period push, and solid goaltending from Darcy Kuemper along the way.
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When they faced the Habs in the Bell Centre, it was a tidy performance with the help of an explosive middle frame. Joel Edmundson, Quinton Byfield and Kevin Fiala each scored a goal in the opening six minutes of the second period. They didnâ€t give the Canadiens a sniffing chance after that.
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Kings dismantle Canadiens with lockdown defense and promising offense, continuing their road dominance.
Thanks to these results, the Kings jumped from 15th place to seventh in the matter of a week. This is the highest theyâ€ve ever been ranked so far this season.
In the real NHL standings, Los Angeles controls the second spot in the Pacific Division with 20 points in 17 outings. With that, the team owns an 8-5-4 record and three points off from the division leaders, the Anaheim Ducks.
The Kings will look to continue their road dominance in their next game against the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
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