Kings Give Fans a Reason to Believe
LA enters Western Conference Championship for second time
Laura Hendrick, Ontario Reign PR
ONTARIO, Calif.- The Ontario Reign’s NHL affiliate, the Los Angeles Kings, were the last team to make it into the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Now they are in the final round of the Western Conference Championship, they are up 1-0 in the series against the third seeded Phoenix Coyotes. Of course after upsetting the Vancouver Canucks, who held the NHL’s best regular-season record with 111 points. The Kings continued on to complete the first sweep of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues who were tied for the second best regular-season record with 109 points. This is the first time in Stanley Cup Playoff history that the eighth seed took out the number one and two seeds in their conference.
If the Kings go all the way and win the Stanley Cup, this will be the first time in franchise history, and only the second time the team has made it to the finals. A Kings Stanley Cup victory will also mark the first time in NHL history an eighth seeded team has won the cup.
Former Ontario Reign players Jordan Nolan and Dwight King (both played during 2009-10 season) joined the Kings roster toward the end of the regular season and have been making quite an impact. King is tied with Mike Richards for third most LA goals in the post-season with three, and Nolan earned his first NHL post-season goal in the Blues eliminating game.
The Kings defense has been impenetrable; lead by Drew Doughty, Matt Greene and anchored by goalie Jonathan Quick, who formerly played for the Reign’s AHL affiliate the Manchester Monarchs. Quick also spent time in the ECHL with the Reading Royals under the leadership of former Reign head coach, Karl Taylor.
Quick and the Kings have the fewest losses in the playoffs, dropping only one game thus far with a 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round.
Throughout the playoffs, the Kings have lead in point percentage (0.900), goals per game (3.10), goals against average (1.60), and penalty kill (93%).
Fans continue to fill the Staples Center, living rooms, bars and restaurants across Southern California to follow this unbelievable run to the Stanley Cup.
Catch the next game tonight Tuesday, May 15 at 6:00 p.m. PT on NBCSports Network.
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