NHL: Three real contenders for the Stanley Cup at the end of October
By Jim Lynch
The Los Angeles Kings
The Kings might not have won one of the last few Stanley Cups, but this team still has Stanley Cup experience in Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Additionally they have one of the best groups of centers in the entire league with Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault and Pierre-Luc Dubois.
This Kings team is built to win, and with a 5-2-2 record at the end of October, they are showing they can be a real contender for the Stanley Cup.
The Kings have one of the best offensive across the entire league averaging a league leading 4.33 goals per game. Additionally, the team’s goaltending has looked just fine with Cam Talbot at the helm.
There are definitely a lot of great teams in the NHL right now. The Boston Bruins look electric, as do the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils. But, with this list just being the top three real contenders for the Stanley Cup, I think anyone of these Western Conference teams could be heading towards a long playoff run in 2024.