LA Kings By The Numbers October 2009: Trick Or Treat?

The Los Angeles Kings completed their October schedule with a shootout loss to the visiting Vancouver Canucks on October 29, 2009, and ended the month in second place in the Pacific Division, one point behind the San Jose Sharks and in fourth place in the Western Conference, four points behind the conference-leading Colorado Avalanche (through games played on October 30).

The Kings played fourteen games, earning an 8-4-2 record, good for eighteen points in the standings.

Compared to last season when they were just 3-5-1, good for seven points in the standings in October, things are looking up for the Kings. A closer look at the numbers indicates that the Kings are offering both tricks and treats on this All Hallow’s Eve.

TREATS

Home games are more fun when the home team is winning and that is exactly what the Kings did in October, when they earned a 4-1-1 record at Staples Center. Last season, their October home record was 2-3-1.
The Kings earned eighteen points in fourteen games this season. Last season, it took them eighteen games and three more weeks to accomplish the same feat.
Center Anze Kopitar is second in the National Hockey League in both points (21) and goals (10) and is fourth in assists (11). Last season, Kopitar scored his 21st point in game 26 (December 6 against the Columbus Blue Jackets), and his tenth goal last season did not come until game 40 on January 8, 2009 (against the Anaheim Ducks). Kopitar also had eleven assists through fourteen games last season. Line mate Ryan Smyth has been a catalyst to igniting Kopitar’s early season offensive outburst.
Defenseman Drew Doughty is tied for second in scoring by NHL defensemen with twelve points on two goals and ten assists. He is also ranked eighth overall in assists. Last season, Doughty scored 27 points on six goals and 21 assists in 81 games and did not earn his tenth assist until his 44th game.
Goaltender Jonathan Quick has an 8-3-2 record. His eight wins are good for fifth in the NHL through games played on October 31.
Despite being held to a single goal in each of the last two games, the Kings are scoring 3.29 goals/game, good for ninth in the NHL. Last season, the Kings averaged 2.46 goals/game, finishing the season ranked 27th.
The Kings’ power play is converting at a 23.8% rate, ranked tenth in the league. This is an improvement over their 19.2% rate last season, ranking them at 14th in the NHL.
Winger Alexander Frolov has responded to being a healthy scratch for the October 19 game at Dallas after a pivotal turnover in the October 17 loss at Columbus. Since his benching, Frolov has scored three goals and has added four assists for seven points in the last five games.
Right wing Wayne Simmonds has gotten off to a relatively hot start this season, scoring four goals in October after scoring nine goals while playing in all 82 games last season. Simmonds has played well while filling in on the top line for injured right wing Justin Williams.
Rookie winger Scott Parse earned a promotion from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, and has made the most of his opportunity by scoring a goal, his first in the NHL (on October 28 against Vancouver), and adding two assists for three points in his first four games. Parse’s strong play has helped the Kings generate secondary scoring.
Claiming defenseman Randy Jones off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers. Acquiring an experienced NHL defenseman without giving up any assets is a good move and is even better since the Flyers are responsible for half of Jones’ salary.

TRICKS

Right wing Justin Williams has missed five games due to a “lower body injury.” Williams was off to a productive start with three goals and six assists for nine points in the first nine games. He is expected back in the lineup soon.
The Kings have gotten off to a rough start on the penalty-kill, with 74.1% rating, good for 25th in the NHL, which is considerably worse than their 82.9% rating last season, which had them ranked seventh in the league. Their penalty-killing may be struggling due to the absence of defenseman Kyle Quincey, who was part of the Ryan Smyth trade with the Avalanche.
Quick currently has a .905 save percentage, which is considerably lower than the .914 save percentage he earned last season. The Kings’ poor penalty-killing in their first few games is a contributing factor to Quick’s lower save percentage numbers.
Last season, the Kings were among the league’s best in the face-off circle, as they ranked fourth in the NHL with a 52.0% rating. But this season, the Kings have dropped way down to 24th in the league with a 48.0% rating. Performance in the face-off circle has far-reaching effects on the game, including the power play and penalty-kill, so improvement in the face-off circle would have positive effects in all aspects of their performance.
The Kings lost to both San Jose and Vancouver in the shootout. Both games featured tight checking and a near-playoff intensity. Despite both shootout losses, the Kings had an outstanding October.

In recent seasons, the Kings have gotten off to strong starts only to fade out of playoff contention by January. Although it is still early in the season and there are still areas that need improvement, to this point in the season, the “treats” outweigh the “tricks.”

The biggest positive is that the Kings have stated an expectation of making the playoffs this season. Seasoned veterans like Smyth, Williams and defenseman Rob Scuderi will need to keep them on course with so many young players on the current roster lacking playoff experience. If they can do that, the playoffs will no longer be the pipe dream that it has been for the last few years.

What a treat that would be for the Kings and their long-suffering fans.

Bruce Fung grew up in the Los Angeles area and has followed the Los Angeles Kings and their young prospects in the minors, juniors, college and in Europe since the days of the old “Forum Blue and Gold” jerseys.