Los Angeles Kings preview: Anze Kopitar leads aging LA Kings squad
Strengths
Goaltending
Quick, Darcy Keumper, and Campbell were outstanding last season. Only the Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks had a higher team save percentage in 2017-18 than the Kings. They were especially great on the penalty kill, where their goaltenders had the second-highest save percentage, trailing only the Colorado Avalanche.
Goaltending can be unpredictable and even a little bit of regression can hurt a team that relies on it as much as the Kings. That said, Los Angeles’ greatest strength lies in their net.
One Reason Each Team Should Be Excited For Next Season. light. Hot
Special K
Kopitar and Kovalchuk are both among the best forwards in the league. It’s hard to say this for the latter since he’s been in the KHL for a while, but he was arguably the best non-NHL player in the world, and for good reason. Meanwhile, Kopitar won the Selke Trophy and finished as a Hart Trophy finalist.
The Kings have to figure out their other three forward lines. It wouldn’t be surprising if they’re forced to separate Kopitar and Kovalchuk. But if the Kings manage to keep them together, they’ll have a lethal duo.
Penalty Kill
Not only did the Kings get amazing goaltending while killing penalties, their defense made their jobs relatively easy. They allowed the sixth-fewest shots on goal against per hour (52.22) in the NHL while shorthanded.