Road swing not as successful as hoped
The Kings had high hopes at the start of their season-long six-game road trip, and for good reason. Although the trip includes two tough sets of back-to-back games, it also had some very winnable games.
On the trip, the Kings faced the three worst teams in the Eastern Conference -- Carolina, Florida and the New York Islanders -- as well as a Dallas team outside the top eight in the Western Conference.
The Kings didn't exactly get what they wanted or needed. After Sunday's 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars, the Kings headed home having accumulated five out of a possible 12 points on the road trip.
The good news for the Kings is they're still in the top eight in the West. The bad news is they missed a great chance to pick up ground on teams such as Chicago and San Jose, and they also allowed teams behind them, such as Phoenix and Colorado, to inch closer.
The bad news is things aren't going to get any easier. The Kings host Phoenix on Thursday, then playoff contender Calgary on Saturday, then have a back-to-back road set against Phoenix and Colorado.
The lowest-scoring team in the NHL, the Kings play 14 of the final 25 games on the road, and play 24 of those games against Western Conference teams.
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