The Morning After: LA Kings Becoming Stanley Cup Favorites?

The Los Angeles Kings didn’t start the season the way many predicted them too.  After not making a single adjustment to their roster, the Kings were picked by many to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions, but a sluggish start that could be called a cup hangover had them meddling near the basement of the Western Conference.  Well not any longer.

The Kings currently sit in fourth place after a 3-1 win over the struggling Calgary Flames Monday night.  Over the past ten games the defending champs are 8-2 giving good reason to tag them with the label as potential repeat champions.

They have it all on their club and it starts with their ferocious coaching style from Darryl Sutter down to Jonathan Quick.  And if that isn’t enough they still have Jonathan Bernier as the backup and likely the most coveted trade chip in the league, should they decide to play it at this year’s deadline to further bolster an already solid lineup.

For the Flames, it was another tough loss that drops their record two games below .500 at 9-11-4 and dead last in the west.  I hope Jarome Iginla isn’t sick of all the trade chatter surrounding him and this team because it’s only going to get worse as the Flames continue to play themselves out of the playoffs, making the decision to trade their captain an easy one. It’s rebuild time in Calgary I’m afraid.

The only other game on the ice last night was in Ottawa that saw the Boston Bruins leave town with a 3-2 shootout win.  The Bruins are tied with the Anaheim Ducks for the second fewest regulation losses with three and are quietly creeping up on the Montreal Canadiens for first in the division and in the conference.  Oh, and they have three games in hand on the Habs and sit just one point back….. I like their chances.

For the Senators, they pick up a valuable point but one has to wonder if they can hold on until Jason Spezza returns in a few weeks so they can make a push for the playoffs.  Or do they trade captain Daniel Alfredsson and give him a chance at a cup while re-stocking the prospect cupboard? So many questions that will be answered in the next few weeks as the play continues and the teams that are legit playoff bound clubs will pull away from those that aren’t.