The LA Kings Need To Start Winning the Games That Matter
· Yahoo Sports
The Los Angeles Kings need to find ways to beat their Pacific Division opponents if they hope to stay competitive in the Western Conference. In their first 14 games of the 2026–27 season, the Kings are 5-7-2, including 1-1-2 against division opponents. That record includes overtime losses to the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights, as well as a regulation loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Their most recent divisional matchup came against the Sharks, where the Kings earned a convincing 7-2 victory. However, one win does not erase the importance of the points dropped in their previous divisional matchups.
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Kings Find Offense Against Sharks
The victory came after losses to the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres, along with a narrow overtime win against the Ottawa Senators. Against Ottawa, the Kings nearly squandered a four-goal lead entering the third period, raising concerns about their ability to maintain control when protecting a substantial advantage.
Against San Jose, however, Los Angeles built momentum early, taking a 3-0 lead in the first period and maintaining control for much of the contest.
Adrian Kempe was the biggest contributor, scoring a hat trick and adding an assist in his return after missing the Buffalo game with an undisclosed injury. His offensive production provided an immediate boost to a Kings team looking for consistency.
Artemi Panarin also played a significant role, recording four assists against the Sharks. Quinton Byfield added two goals, providing another encouraging performance from a player the Kings need to continue producing offensively.
Kings Must Improve Division Record
Last season, the Kings finished with a 10-6-10 record against Pacific Division opponents. While that mark was good enough to help secure a playoff appearance, the team will need to improve its divisional performance if it hopes to make a deeper postseason run.
It is also worth considering the Pacific Division’s competitive landscape last season. Vegas won the division with 95 points, the lowest total among the four division champions. By comparison, Buffalo finished atop the Atlantic Division with 109 points, a 14-point difference.
Kings Face Early Season Pressure
The Kings currently sit seventh in the Pacific Division with 12 points, 13 behind the first-place Oilers, who have played two more games. Although there is plenty of hockey left to play, the early standings illustrate how quickly a team can fall behind when it struggles to collect points.
The victory over San Jose was an encouraging step, but the Kings cannot afford to treat it as a solution to their larger problems. Winning against division opponents carries added importance because those games directly affect the standings of their closest competitors.
If Los Angeles wants to establish itself as a legitimate Pacific Division contender, it needs to turn performances like the one against San Jose into a consistent trend rather than an occasional bright spot.
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