The team of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Phillip Danault is currently going through a serious nosedive, with the Los Angeles Kings having lost just nine of their last ten meetings and facing some rivals in the standings.
After a 5-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, head coach Todd McLellan's team remains in the playoffs, but they better wake up soon. With 50 points, it ranks third in the Pacific Division of the National Hockey League (NHL), one more than the Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators. Furthermore, they will have to hope for a miracle to catch up with the Vancouver Canucks with 62 points.
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Still, the Kings had solid performances early in the season and appeared to be a powerhouse on the Bettman Tour. However, there are certain reasons for concern. Goaltender Cam Talbot has suffered eight straight losses and finished with a save percentage below .900 in four of his last five games. Dubois continues to struggle with 19 points in 41 games and a margin of -11.
In short, things aren't going well in Los Angeles, except that no one in the locker room has any intention of panicking.
“In my opinion, as we begin the year, we are building our structure, our foundation and our identity to face these difficult times. When the going gets tough, you have to go back to that base and keep it simple by playing and working according to your identity,” said striker Trevor Lewis, as reported by website lakingsinsider.com.
“We are struggling to win games at the moment; Some of them were tight and I could say this [mardi] was pretty good until the last moment. However, this is the NHL and every team has to deal with the rigors of a journey like the one we just completed. I don't think there's a guy here […] “The loss is acceptable because we played two games on so many nights,” McLellan said.
Danault is always reliable
As for the positives, Danault's exemplary performance is nothing to sneeze at. The former Montreal Canadiens had an assist in Dallas, extending his streak of games with at least one point to six; he had eight during that stretch. The veteran has 19 assists and 28 points this season, compiling a record of +7.
The Kings will play their next four games at home, including Thursday against the Nashville Predators.