***Utah Mammoth vs. Los Angeles Kings GDT 3/28/26 6:00pm on KCAL, FanDuelSoCal, FDSN Now & SLVR***

[Clif]

I think the upside of getting into the playoffs is to give players more playoff experience. Even guys like Moore, QB & Laffy have only been in a few series. Outside of that (and maybe the Kopitar sentiment) I see nothing of any real value.

I see more downside in losing to the Oilers for a fifth time in a row or in getting slapped around by the Avs. I should be cheering losses, but yet I keep wanting the team to win. This season is damaging my brain.

I do believe in positive momentum, and UT game aside this team has had a visible lift since axing Hiller. It feels like even if they miss the playoffs they can at least end the season on a more positive note than had they crawled to end under his choking grasp.

 

[ICE24]

I see more downside in losing to the Oilers for a fifth time in a row or in getting slapped around by the Avs. I should be cheering losses, but yet I keep wanting the team to win. This season is damaging my brain.

I do believe in positive momentum, and UT game aside this team has had a visible lift since axing Hiller. It feels like even if they miss the playoffs they can at least end the season on a more positive note than had they crawled to end under his choking grasp.

I like your positive outlook. I believe most of us want the Kings to win and make the playoffs because there is always a glimmer of hope that somehow, they can shock the world or go up a gear and win a series. At least that is the hope that we cling to.

The facts are the Kings are 1-5 in the last six. Their only win was against the worst team in hockey. I believe they even had leads in those other games, except for the Utah disaster. For me, this takes away any hope that they can make the playoffs, even in the worst division in hockey. 29 wins at this point of a season, is a non-playoff team. I know they still have a chance; however, they have done nothing with so many opportunities. Some were saying that they have the easiest road to the playoffs with 10 games left. When you are a point or so away from the playoffs, a seven game homestand at the end of the season would almost guarantee you a spot in the playoffs. Not for this sorry team. This gives me no hope and to me there is simply no positivity moving forward into next season, especially with the contracts they have given out.

 

[Clif]

I like your positive outlook. I believe most of us want the Kings to win and make the playoffs because there is always a glimmer of hope that somehow, they can shock the world or go up a gear and win a series. At least that is the hope that we cling to.

The facts are the Kings are 1-5 in the last six. Their only win was against the worst team in hockey. I believe they even had leads in those other games, except for the Utah disaster. For me, this takes away any hope that they can make the playoffs, even in the worst division in hockey. 29 wins at this point of a season, is a non-playoff team. I know they still have a chance; however, they have done nothing with so many opportunities. Some were saying that they have the easiest road to the playoffs with 10 games left. When you are a point or so away from the playoffs, a seven game homestand at the end of the season would almost guarantee you a spot in the playoffs. Not for this sorry team. This gives me no hope and to me there is simply no positivity moving forward into next season, especially with the contracts they have given out.

To be fair they’re 1-2-3 in their last 6 games, which in this laughable year is .500 hockey based on points percentage. No one is mistaking this for a good team. But scoring is fun and hitting is part of hockey and while they’re allowing more goals they’re finally performing like a reasonably physical hockey team. Hiller’s version of hockey made me hate this team because I think what Hiller was doing is bad for the sport.

I have too much to say about where the Kings could be going, but I’ll summarize it this way.

There is no team who has ever initiated two tear-it-down rebuilds twice in a decade. Blake’s rebuild failed. It is perfectly possible this team goes the way of StL, VAN, what was BUF, etc. where they are mired in black mediocrity for some years to come.

With clever moves, this team could also be interesting. If they signed Andersson to RD and traded for Petterson, as an example, I’d be curious. Hard to do! But Holland makes moves and I’m interested to see what they are.