The first is unbeatable on home ice, and the second has so much trouble duplicating that same success on the road.
This Jekyll-and-Hyde act has been one of the most prominent storylines surrounding the Kings this year. Los Angeles was 19-4-1 at Staples Center during the regular season, but it was only able to earn the fifth seed in the Western Conference because of its 8-12-4 record on the road.
This same trend has continued in the playoffs. The Kings have won all eight of their home matchups and lost seven of their eight road games.
For a chance to break the 1987-88 Edmonton Oilers' record of 11 straight home playoff victories in a single season, the Kings will have to win at least once on the road in their Western Conference Finals series against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The defending champions won the final regular-season meeting between these two teams in Chicago, but they were unable to take either of the first two games of the conference finals.
Kings forward Justin Williams had this to say to LA Kings Insider after his team's 3-1 Game 3 victory on Tuesday:
We’re going to have to eventually win one [in Chicago]. That’s not our focus right now.
I can’t explain why we’re unbeaten at home or why we were 10-1 last year. As you know, we’ve cut it in half. Now it’s important for us to even it up. Eventually, as you said, we’re going to have to win one there. We’re not focused on that yet. We’re focused on Thursday.
Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, who played a brilliant game on Tuesday, also shared his thoughts with LA Kings Insider on the team's home winning streak.
We’ve kind of been forced to win at home just because we haven’t played as well on the road. We don’t put too much thought into the streak or any...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
