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Kings season is over after latest loss to Arizona

By Jamaal Artis

Apr 2, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) and center Tyler Toffoli (73) react as they skate off the ice as the hopes of playoffs are lost. The Coyotes won 2-1 at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) and center Tyler Toffoli (73) react as they skate off the ice as the hopes of playoffs are lost. The Coyotes won 2-1 at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NHL playoffs 2017 won’t have a familiar face in it after all.

The Los Angeles’ Kings slim playoff chances finally ended; not with a bang, but a whimper. The Kings’ loss to the Arizona Coyotes finally eliminated them from the last wild card spot.  In a 2-1 loss, the Kings exhibited the the same flaws that have plagued them all year. Those are lack of scoring compounded by a weak power play unit.

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For the Kings to stay in playoff contention they needed to win all of their remaining games as they chased the Nashville Predators. Since the Predators lost earlier in the day, the Kings could remain alive if they beat the Coyotes.

Going into the game the Kings had lost their last two home games against Coyotes. Against a team that is currently second worst in the entire Western Conference.  Sunday proved more of the same for the Kings.

The Coyotes were able to beat the Kings on the strength of a late power play goal in the first period and by capitalizing on a juicy rebound given up by Kings goalie Jonathan Quick in the second period.

Going into the third period down 2-0, the Kings needed to play their best hockey of the season in order to survive, unfortunately they didn’t.

It remains to be seen what changes will happen, but after missing the playoffs for the second time in three years,the Kings are in need of a change.

Whether it’s coach Darryl Sutter or general manager Dean Lombardi it’s obvious one or both need to go.  The Kings failures this year was either due to coaching or personnel and that falls at the feet of the brain trust.

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With the Kings lack of scoring perhaps Sutter’s system no longer works, or perhaps Lombardi hasn’t put together the right team for Sutter’s system.  Either way there needs to be a change made at the top or next season it will be more of the same.

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