Kings’ record-setting road success makes them even bigger Stanley Cup threat

Winning on the road is not straightforward within the NHL, however do not inform that to the Los Angeles Kings. They have made it look straightforward within the first couple months of the 2023-24 season, and that has them trying like a critical Stanley Cup threat.

On Thursday night time, the Kings breezed handed the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 within the Bell Centre to choose up their eleventh straight road win to start out the 2023-24 season. That set an NHL file for essentially the most consecutive road wins to start out a season, and Los Angeles is now seven away from the all-time file for consecutive road victories.

The Kings are beginning to look invincible away from Crypto.com Arena. Most groups are extra comfy at residence for quite a lot of causes, however they should be staying in some lavish inns with top-of-the-line mattresses once they exit of city.

It’s additionally essential to notice that Los Angeles hasn’t simply been beating groups on the road. It has been pummeling opponents, and final night time was no exception. The Kings have put up some really spectacular numbers regardless of not having the advantage of the final line change.

On a person degree, six completely different Kings are averaging at the very least a degree per sport on the road. Goaltender Cam Talbot has been a human wall exterior of Los Angeles, posting a 1.24 GAA and .956 save share in 9 appearances.

In all equity, the Kings are a superb workforce regardless of the place they’re taking part in. Put them in L.A., in Boston, or on the moon, and they’ll win loads of hockey video games. That mentioned, Los Angeles has a singular capacity to choose up wins on the road, and which may very nicely show to be extraordinarily beneficial within the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The cliche that residence ice issues within the playoffs would not all the time maintain true, and it wasn’t the case in 2023. Last postseason, residence groups went 41-47, and solely 4 groups had a successful file in their very own barn.

Being capable of win on the road is even extra essential within the playoffs, and the Kings have it all the way down to a science. The method issues stand proper now, it appears like Los Angeles will nearly definitely have home-ice benefit for at the very least one playoff spherical. That’s a pleasant luxurious, nevertheless it’s even nicer to know that in the event that they do drop one at residence, there might be no panic of their sport once they go right into a hostile setting for a must-win sport.

They had been unable to to that in Game 5 towards the Oilers final season — and in Game 7 the 12 months earlier than that — however the Kings will not lack any confidence in related conditions subsequent spring.