Power Rankings: Kings following NHL's turnaround script

Updated Nov. 3

The good thing about being in Hollywood is that when new script ideas are lacking, there is always the option of recycling an old one. Like say, the story about taking a perennial loser and turning it into a winner, seemingly overnight.

Newcomer Ryan Smyth is a Kings catalyst. (US Presswire)

The hockey version of this movie has played out a couple of times already in the aftermath of the lockout, first with the Pittsburgh Penguins and more recently with the Chicago Blackhawks. Both teams took their lumps for a few seasons, drafted high and as a result, put together lineups that grew quickly together before taking the league by storm.

In Los Angeles, the Kings are trying to become the next ones. So far they seem to be on the right path.

Colorado, and to a slightly lesser extent the Phoenix Coyotes, may have laid claim to the NHL's best Cinderella story early in this season. But for a team that hasn't been to the playoffs since 2002, the young Kings have been no less impressive. Los Angeles has the third-most points in the Western Conference, tied for fourth in the league and is a top 10 team in overall offense and the power play.

The Kings are getting the kind of goaltending they've been lacking for years from 23-year-old Jonathan Quick, the defense has two budding young stars in Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, and leading man Anze Kopitar is the top scorer in the NHL. Meanwhile, the supporting cast that has been methodically put together by GM Dean Lombardi since he took over in 2006 has been improving with every game under the patient coaching of Terry Murray.

Lombardi, who set the foundation in San Jose when he was there with his drafting and development process, has used the same philosophy in Los Angeles, stockpiling young assets and supplementing them with a few key veterans. The most notable has been Ryan Smyth, who came in a trade this summer from the Avs and is arguably the best turnaround player in the league. Smyth is putting up big numbers of his own, but more importantly, he has triggered Kopitar's breakout effort.

"Smitty knows how to play the game and he's rubbed off on Kopi," Kings defenseman Sean O'Donnell said.

And on the rest of the team.

Here are the rankings through Monday night's games:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Blackhawks · Trends	1
	Not many questions these days about goalie Cristobal Huet or Marian Hossa, who is picking up a point a game since coming off shoulder surgery.
	2	Sharks · Trends	2
	Goalie Evgeni Nabokov has been outspoken on a few subjects lately and not making many friends on his team or elsewhere as a result.
	3	Penguins · Trends	4
	Sidney Crosby's groin is the only thing stopping him now. He has picked up 19 points in three weeks to jump back into the scoring race.
	4	Devils · Trends	3
	Hard to beat in regulation or when games go long. New Jersey is 5-1 in shootouts so far.
	5	Flames · Trends	5
	Calgary is 6-1-1 over its past eight games and has allowed two goals or less in seven of them.
	6	Capitals · Trends	6
	Those poor Caps had to go two games without Alex Ovechkin and all the offense could manage was 14 goals.
	7	Bruins · Trends	9
	Boston's latest lifer, Marc Savard, has been lighting it up since coming back from a broken foot, and not coincidentally, so have the B's.
	8	Sabres · Trends	7
	The Sabres are tough to come back on. Buffalo is 12-2-2 when scoring first and unbeaten when leading after two periods.
	9	Coyotes · Trends	13
	Doing it the hard way. Phoenix has won four in a row without zero power-play goals in 13 tries during the run.
	10	Thrashers · Trends	10
	Pavel Kubina has stabilized the blue line in Atlanta and his own game as well. He was minus-15 with Toronto last season, and is plus-16 now.
	11	Kings · Trends	16
	Wayne Simmonds has stepped up with eight points in six games, but the Kings are having trouble holding leads these days.
	12	Predators · Trends	8
	The Predators have been turkeys at home since Thanksgiving, going 1-3 and losing the past two by a combined 10-3 score.
	13	Avalanche · Trends	17
	All of a sudden things seem to be clicking for rookie Matt Duchene, who had his ice time cut for a night and then had five goals in his next three games.
	14	Red Wings · Trends	14
	Detroit has won just one of its past six at home after losing just nine there last season. Overall, the Red Wings are 5-6-2 in Detroit.
	15	Canucks · Trends	18
	Ryan Kesler isn't helping his case as the Team USA roster announcement approaches. He hasn't scored in 14 games for the underachieving Canucks.
	16	Wild · Trends	28
	Playing their best hockey of the season of late and suddenly back in the playoff picture. Andrew Brunette is catching fire.
	17	Stars · Trends	19
	Losing a lot of valuable extra points in shootouts. Dallas is 1-6 in the skills challenges this season.
	18	Senators · Trends	11
	The road hasn't been kind to the Senators, who went 1-3-1 on their most recent trip and allowed 20 goals.
	19	Blues · Trends	27
	Coach Andy Murray turned over responsibility for the league's worst power play to his assistants at Thanksgiving. The Blues are 3 for 18 with the man advantage since.
	20	Flyers · Trends	12
	Ray Emery has had a 5.36 goals-against average and an .814 save percentage in his past five starts, and was yanked in two.
	21	Rangers · Trends	20
	Forget about his quick start. Ales Kotalik has gone ice cold offensively, now at 11 consecutive games without a goal.
	22	Islanders · Trends	23
	Matt Moulson continues to be one of the season's best stories for the Isles. Meanwhile, rehabbing Rick DiPietro is seeing game action in the minors.
	23	Lightning · Trends	15
	Something doesn't add up when Ryan Malone has as many goals as Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Alex Tanguay combined.
	24	Canadiens · Trends	22
	Tomas Plekanec is having a big season, leading the team in scoring and closing in on his point total for all of last season.
	25	Panthers · Trends	21
	Third periods continue to be nightmares for the Panthers. The good news? Stephen Weiss is enjoying a breakout season.
	26	Oilers · Trends	29
	Baby steps in the right direction. Edmonton won two games in a row last week, the first time they've done that since mid-October.
	27	Maple Leafs · Trends	25
	Some signs of progress lately, but still several concerns because the power play has been awful and the goaltending erratic.
	28	Ducks · Trends	24
	Losing Teemu Selanne until January hurts. Anaheim's power play is one of the team's few bright spots, and Selanne's a big reason why.
	29	Blue Jackets · Trends	26
	When teams fade as fast as the lifeless Jackets have of late, the future of the coach has to come into question.
	30	Hurricanes · Trends	30
	The four-game road trip this week should take Carolina out of the playoff race for good and set the stage for a shakeup that could be worth a lot at next spring's draft.