Los Angeles has only four players on its current roster over 30 years old. If the Kings can keep their current roster around, 2012 should be the beginning of a new dynasty in the NHL. This group of players can develop even better chemistry in the next few seasons, which would have them consistently competing for the President’s Trophies, not just playoff spots.
The Kings reached the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs with outstanding defense and barely any scoring. Los Angeles ranked second in the NHL in goals allowed per game (2.07) and 29th in goals per game (2.29).
Six of the seven most potent offenses in the regular season failed to reach the second round of the playoffs. Three of the top five defensive teams during the regular season made it to their respective conference finals. Maybe NHL franchises should invest more in preventing goals than in scoring goals.
The Kings showed that the right head coach makes a huge difference in the success of an NHL team. Los Angeles went through three head coaches this season before finding the right one in Darryl Sutter.
Other franchises besides the Kings have found immediate improvement after changing head coaches recently.
The St. Louis Blues replaced Davis Payne with Ken Hitchcock after 13 games of the 2011-12 regular season. Under Hitchcock, the Blues went from a .500 team to a 109-point team, as they placed second in the Western Conference. Also, the Blues were the only team to allow fewer goals in the regular season than the Kings.
The New Jersey Devils hired Peter DeBoer before this season. DeBoer took over a team who missed the playoffs in 2010-11, and he turned it into a Stanley Cup finalist...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
