Los Angeles Kings left to fight alone in NHL playoff race after quiet trade deadline

The Los Angeles Kings were sent a clear message by management during the NHL trade deadline: If they wish to make a playoff run, they will have to do it on their own. Rather than bringing in key players to help fuel a playoff bid, the LA Kings' general manager, Ken Holland, chose to focus on the future of the organization over a current playoff run. It now falls to the current roster to help turn around a difficult stretch as they cling to their playoff hopes.
The Los Angeles Kings slipped further in the standings on Saturday after a painful 4-3 defeat to the Montreal Canadiens in front of their home fans at Crypto.com Arena. Two goals in quick succession in the third period, scored within 49 seconds, killed off any momentum Los Angeles had and left them in sixth place in the Pacific Division. It’s a precarious position for the Los Angeles Kings, who have now lost seven of their last nine games.

Ken Holland chooses future over deadline splash as injuries mount

Just weeks ago, the organization seemed to be on the verge of making a push for the postseason. Ken Holland made a move to acquire a key forward in the form of Artemi Panarin, leading into the Olympic break. To do so, the team parted with a prospect and a couple of draft picks.
However, injuries soon forced the organization to reassess the situation. Key forwards Kevin Fiala, Joel Armia, and Andrei Kuzmenko were all placed on the injured list. Additionally, the team parted with head coach Jim Hiller.
In his stead, the team brought in D.J. Smith to try to steady the ship for a team that seems to be struggling for consistency. Instead of making another deal to part with key pieces, the team changed course at the deadline. Holland acquired a couple of draft picks for veterans Corey Perry and Warren Foegele. Additionally, the team brought in forward Scott Laughton and Mathieu Joseph on a short-term deal.
Despite their struggles, they are still mathematically in it. Veteran captain Anze Kopitar continues to lead the way, scoring a goal to reach 1,304 points in his career, only three points shy of the franchise record held by Marcel Dionne.
However, their margin for error is now gone. For players like Alex Laferriere, they know they have only 20 games left to play and every point counts.
“Time is running out,” Laferriere said. “We have 20 games left now, and we need every single point. We can’t change what happened, so we’ve got to try to take the positives from the game and make sure it doesn’t happen ever again.”
From here on out, it’s up to the players in the locker room to determine their playoff chances.


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