And with the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks all eliminated in the first round, this means that the NHL will be seeing a ninth new champion in as many years unless the New Jersey Devils win it all.
So why wouldn't a team like the Los Angeles Kings be able to run the table and win the Stanley Cup?
They certainly have the tools.
One shouldn't look at that No. 8 seed that's stuck on their name. That is merely a label.
The team has an unbelievable young goaltender in Jonathan Quick, who can steal any series.
Their defense has been better than solid all year long. Guys like Drew Doughty, Rob Scuderi, Willie Mitchell and Matt Greene have been stepping up to the occasion in the playoffs this year, unlike previous years when they wilted when it mattered most.
In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Kings have the most star power left on their team when it comes to scoring. Guys like Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll highlight the offense for the team.
These are all guys who have a history of putting pucks in the back of the net. They just didn't do it this year in the regular season. On many occasions, they were bailed out by Quick, who is a candidate for the Vezina Trophy after a stellar 2011-12 season.
In fact, coming into the playoffs the Kings had the fewest goals scored among the 16 playoff teams.
That being said, the Kings averaged 3.04 goals per game in their last 23 games heading into the playoffs. Against Vancouver, they scored four goals on two separate occasions, and they're averaging 2.5 goals per game in six postseason games, which is slightly above their season average.
Sure, the...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
