The Laing’ Elite Road Game is the ultimate in controversy – The Hockey Bars – Los Angeles Kings

There is an unusual event held in the western conference. Just watching the Los Angeles Kings on their ice at Crypto.com Arena, you can write them off as a team struggling to find its groove, a team breaking out of a year one slump. So far, they have only managed one victory in their build.

But if you caught them elsewhere — in Pittsburgh, Montreal, or almost any other NHL powerhouse — you’d be watching some of the strongest, most balanced, and most successful teams in the league.

The Kings are a matter of two teams, and right now, it’s the walk-on that dominates the entire franchise. This isn’t just a minor mathematical quirk; It is a dynamic, defining division that has an organization that has the entire organization taking notice and the group itself seeking explanations.

By the Numbers: Statistical Road Postinance

Let’s get the raw details out of the way, because they highlight the whole conversation. For their first Ten Road games, the Kings posted a stellar 7-1-2-2-2.

This is not good; It’s the Elite.

• That .800 road winning percentage is second best in the NHL, trailing only the New York Rangers (who have played one fewer game).
• No team in the league has accumulated more points away from home than Los Angeles.

In 10 road games, the Kings posted a PLUS-9 goal difference, scoring 34 goals while conceding only 25 goals. They have some of the best road traffic targets and one of the best controversial goals. They won with structure, not just talent.

As of this writing, the Road Point Streak has hit eight games, including a natural back-to-back win. They just opened the Eastern Swing of five with a 3-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins and a 5-1 distribution of the Montreal Canadiens.

Related – Record night in LA: Kings celebrate multiple milestones in first home win

This road is, in fact, the only thing that got them out of what could have been a disaster of the first year, given their misery of snow at home. Interestingly, this division is not entirely new, but the direction is. This is a ‘home hot’ franchise last season, going 31-6-4.

Inside the room: Ease, focus, and shrug

So, what’s the secret? When you have performance differences like this, you’re looking at positive change. Are they playing a different show? A difficult trap? Have a more aggressive temper?

Ask the players and coaches, and you get an interesting mix of answers ranging from tactical guidance to pure attack.

Head Coach Jim Hiller’s coaching staff seems to be finding their identity when the wheels fly up. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who has been the beneficiary of these tough streaks, points to consistency. He notes that the group plays “perfect games” on the road, staying “,” and releasing their favorite style for a full 60 minutes – the existing level that seems to evaporate at home.

The formula is ordered and prepared. Against Montreal, they called the play from the Puck Drop, which looked sharp and prepared. At home, the word “doesn’t matter” worked a lot.

Veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson offered perhaps the most insightful, time-tested hockey theory. On the road, the team is together 24/7. It builds chemistry and allows the team to “get into a rhythm.”

Most importantly, he compared it to their performance at home, thinking that in front of their fans, “they try to do too much,” which opponents can eat easily. On the street, “they play a simple game.” It is the “keep-it-isk-simple-fool” (Kiss) Principle in action. And, as he admitted, there is a certain satisfaction in playing the villain: they enjoy “pissing off the crowd early.”

Then you have a third school of thought, which can be summarized as the “hockey gods” view.

• “I don’t see us doing anything special,” Joel Chimeria said.
• “Awesome,” Quinton Byfield mused. “How it goes sometimes.”
• Forward Alex Laferriere suggested it could be a case of “a couple of Puck Bounces” going.

While “Puck Luck” is always a factor, the last two wins suggest more than that.

Case studies on the Street

The Kings’ 2-0 start to their current road trip perfectly reflects the two ways they win.

First, a 3-2 win against Pittsburgh. This was a test of endurance. After falling behind 2-1 in the second period – a moment when a weak team can fold – the kings are regrouped. Corey Perry tied it, and Kevin Fiala grabbed the game winner, which also happened to be his 500th NHL point. They did not panic; They stuck to the “simple” game Edmundson described and got the result.

Related – Kings Continue winning on the road with a 5-1 victory

Second, a 5-1 win against Montreal. This was a display of dominance. The Canadiens actually scored first, taking a 1-0 lead. Road bound kings did not. They responded with a slump in the second period, scoring three goals in the first 5:22 to take complete control. The rout was there, with goals from Edmundson, Quinton Byfield, Fiala, Joel Armia (against his former club), and Warren Foegele. This was not a “puck bounce” win; It was a sham, a 60-minute effort.

Continuous model or problem to play?

Kings proved to be a “black scare” in the western conference. Their ability to play a punishing, disciplined, 60-year-old game away from home is the key to playoff success. The problem, of course, is that you can’t win the Stanley Cup without winning at home.

This highway is very important and the “calculation that arrives at the time of playing,” a phase that the Kongo singer has struggled to adapt to in recent years. But the opposite is also true: you can’t survive four rounds of playoff hockey while giving up home-ice advantage in every single game.

One can watch masters like a touring band find perfect harmony on a bus, isolated from the distractions of the city. They get into the rhythm, play the hits (a simple, straightforward game), and feed off the power to slay a new crowd every night.

It’s great to climb the regular season charts. But in the end, they have to figure out how to play their home fans. If they can solve the congtundrum of kripto.com and combine their domestic operations with elite street ownership, this group is not just a “dark horse.” They are a legitimate competition. Otherwise, this amazing road race will be nothing more than a “What if?”

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