In doing so, they became the first team since the 1996-97 Detroit Red Wings to lose just four times in a Stanley Cup playoff run.
The series was pretty much over when the Kings went up 3-0 in the series on the New Jersey Devils. They were 15-2 at that point. Had they swept the Devils, they could've very well become the second team ever to go 16-2 in the playoffs.
The Wayne Gretzkly led Edmonton Oilers from 1988 are the only other team to accomplish that feat. It's important to note that they did that with possibly the greatest team ever assembled in NHL history with Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Gretzky, and Grant Fuhr.
It's fair to say that the Kings didn't have those big names. But they had camaraderie, faith, a group of young, driven players, and one hell of a goalie.
Playoff dominance just doesn't happen like this anymore. That's what makes the Kings' run remarkable. There's just so much parity in this league -- evidenced by the fact that an eight seed just won the Cup -- that it's awfully difficult to sweep a series, let alone go on a 16-4 run.
Because of this, one definitely has to put the Kings up there as one of the greatest playoff teams in NHL history. It's tough to evaluate who the greatest is because teams were not always required to win 16 games in order to win a Stanley Cup.
In the past, there were fewer teams, which means there were fewer rounds in the playoffs.
That being said, there wasn't as much parity in those days. The Montreal Canadiens would seemingly win Cup after Cup. In other words, it was easier to be dominant, so the 12-1 Montreal Canadiens teams from 1968 and 1976 had things a bit easier than today's teams.
In this day and age, it's almost impossible to pull off a run...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
