Is It Time to Start Worrying About the Los Angeles Kings Missing the Playoffs?

With 32 games remaining, the Los Angeles Kings are not a playoff team.

Not only are the Kings not a playoff team, but they are 12th in the West, five points out of a playoff spot. 

Is it time to worry?

Should anyone ever worry about the Kings?

For the second year in a row, the Kings are sleepwalking through a regular season. In 2013-14, at around the 58-game mark, they began a reign of terror. They closed the regular season 16-6-2, and then won an additional 16 games in the postseason for a second Stanley Cup in three seasons. 

When the Kings won the Cup in 2012 as a No. 8 seed, they were 27-22-12 through 61 games before finishing 13-5-3 and bludgeoning the opposition in a 16-4 postseason run.

Through 50 games this season, the Kings are 21-17-12 and have lost six of seven.

"We’re definitely cutting it close," defenseman Drew Doughty said. "We have not been playing well lately this season. We put ourselves in a hole. We’re out of a playoff spot. We need a lot of wins to get back in there and to climb in the standings."

Those Doughty comments are from the All-Star break; since then, the Kings have lost three of four.

Because of their track record of breaking late like a well-trained thoroughbred, the Kings are at least getting the benefit of the doubt, even after a 4-0 throttling at the hands of the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.

Are these feelings of confidence justified? Are the Kings just repeating the script that brought them a championship last year? Let's compare last season's team to this one to determine if another turnaround can be expected.

1. The underlying numbers

Here's a look at the Kings through 50 games this season and 58 games last season.

Season	Games	Corsi	PDO	Shot %	Save %	GF	GA
2013-14	58	56.4	99.5	6.0	93.5	83	74
2014-15	50	54.4	99.6	7.2	92.4	87	80

Already there's reason for optimism, as the numbers aren't all that different. The Kings controlled shot attempts a little better last season, but there's nothing about what they're doing at five-on-five this season that should raise any red flags. There are only slight variations in shooting and save percentage, and the 99.6 PDO indicates the Kings may be on the verge of getting a few more bounces.

The 2014-15 team's goal differential is only two goals worse than last season's team. The Kings are 12th in five-on-five goal differential (1.10); the 2013-14 team had a similar number before a late-season charge pushed them to 1.28, the third-best mark in the league.

They look like a very good team that's not catching many breaks, although Doughty disagrees.

"Our team isn’t playing well right now," he said. "Too many times do we not have our entire team showing up. Some games it’s just our goalie. Some games it’s just our D. Some it’s just our forwards. We need our entire team to show up for a full 60-minute game. That’s how we’re going to get wins."

The predictive nature of shot attempts says if this year's team continues to perform at the same rate, they could make a climb similar to last season. 

But then again...

2. The overlying numbers (aka Jonathan Quick)

The Kings have been really good at five-on-five, but how are things going on an individual, all-situations level?

Jonathan Quick has been below his usual standards this season with a .910 save percentage, which is five points worse than his numbers in 2013-14 and four points below his career average. A slight deviation in his stats can be easily corrected over the final half of the season, but there is something disconcerting about Quick's numbers.

Here's a look at Quick's month-by-month splits from last season and this season:

Month	2013-14	2014-15
October	.903	.942
November	.911	.915
December	—	.901
January	.925	.878
February	.914	.852
March	.919	—
April	.911	—

In 2013-14, Quick was far more consistent. This season, he was a brick wall in October and has been uncharacteristically putrid since. Ever since, he has an .898 save percentage. Injury limited Quick to 49 games last season, hence the empty December 2013 slot.

Something to consider if you're into math and predictive trends: The last goaltender to make at least 70 starts and win a Stanley Cup was Martin Brodeur in 2003; Quick is on pace for 68 starts as of today, although if the Kings are fighting tooth and nail from here on out, that number could push north of 70.

Although if Quick is operating at an .898 clip the rest of the way, winning a Cup won't be a worry for the Kings because they'll be home watching the postseason in mid-April.

Harry How/Getty Images

What about special teams? There's not much different from last year to this year on the power play, but the Kings have been dreadful playing down a man.

The Kings are 12th on the power play (19.4 percent) and 25th on the penalty kill (77.6 percent). Those numbers are almost the inverse of last season (15.1/83.1), although their power play vastly improved over the final 24 games last season, jumping from 14 percent to 18.1 percent.

Here's what coach Darryl Sutter told reporters earlier this season about the Kings' bumbling penalty kill after it faltered in a game against the Devils:

"

I thought our penalty killing was just draining us. It takes so much out of your team. They scored the goal at the end of the first and then you come back and score and give then give it up right away. It’s really disappointing. ... Yeah, it might be a little bit of (lack of passion). I also think the penalty kill is also a little bit of the desire to do it and the experience to do it and the personnel to do it.

"

Therein lies the problem that may prevent the Kings from turning it around this season—as similar as the 2014-15 roster is to last year's club, it's not the same.

3. What's different this season?

Now we must address the elephant in the room.

Slava Voynov's trial for domestic violence is scheduled for March 2. Voynov was suspended indefinitely Oct. 21 for allegedly beating his wife so badly that the officer on the scene reported seeing blood "everywhere" in the Voynov bedroom, according to Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. If found guilty, Voynov faces a maximum sentence of nine years in prison.

Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

It's somewhat strange that Voynov is even still on the Kings roster at this juncture, but he is, so while it's a human issue, it's also a hockey issue for the Kings. His contract does not count against the salary cap while he is suspended, and unless the case is thrown out or charges are dropped between now and the end of the season, the situation will not change.

So as unpleasant as it may be to discuss, the Kings have been a far worse defensive team without Voynov and Willie Mitchell, who signed with the Florida Panthers this offseason. Mitchell and Voynov ranked first and fifth among Kings defenseman in shorthanded ice time last season (Voynov was No. 2 this season), and neither player is walking through the Staples Center door anytime soon unless something changes drastically.

Throw in the fact that Robyn Regehr, another heavily used penalty-killer, missed a dozen games with a hand injury, and it's understandable why the defense and penalty-killing aren't as strong this year. 

At forward, Mike Richards was so disastrous that he was banished to the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. Marian Gaborik, last season's game-changing trade-deadline acquisition, has only played 37 games because of injury. Tanner Pearson's broken leg in early January hasn't helped, either. 

But really, the Kings defense has hurt them.

"We need our entire team to show up for a full 60-minute game," Doughty said. "That’s how we’re going to get wins. We’ve gotten away from playing good defensive hockey, which is L.A. Kings style of game. When we get back to that, we’ll start winning again."

Fixing the defense, however, will be difficult.

4. The trade deadline

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

The Kings likely wouldn't have won their two Stanley Cups without general manager Dean Lombardi turning the Blue Jackets upside down and shaking them until Jeff Carter and Marian Gaborik fall out of their pockets. 

Things are somewhat different this season, as offense hasn't been the issue, and it's unlikely Columbus will trade Ryan Johansen to the Kings in exchange for a Mickey Mouse hat and a $20 gift certificate to Mann's Chinese Theater.

The Kings are scoring 2.66 goals per game, which isn't great, as it ranks 20th in the league. But compared to last year and three years ago, the Kings are way ahead of the game—the Kings finished at 2.29 per game in 2011-12 and 2.42 per game in 2013-14 even after the Carter and Gaborik trades led to a scoring increase.

The Kings need help on the back end, and what Lombardi does at the trade deadline to address the weakness will likely have the same championship-defining effect that the Gaborik/Carter trades had. 

This is where Voynov being an alleged abuser becomes an on-ice factor again.

The trade deadline is March 2. According to CapGeek, accounting for the $925,000 in space earned by waiving Richards, the Kings have about $4.25 million in cap space; Voynov's cap hit is $4.167 million. Should the Kings acquire, say, Andrej Sekera and his $2.75 million cap hit, the Kings would be in trouble if Voynov's suspension was lifted after the deadline and he had to be placed on the active roster.

I emailed the Kings about this potential scenario, and the team responded with this statement from Jeff Solomon, vice president of hockey operations/legal affairs:

"We will certainly keep Voynov in mind as we plan for the upcoming trade deadline. Any plan we execute will provide for the flexibility to accommodate Voynov should the NHL lift his suspension and allow him to return to our active roster."

Based on what Solomon said, any trade-deadline acquisition made by the Kings will allot for space to activate Voynov. That means Lombardi has a lot of work to do in improving his cap-strapped team at the deadline, as a trade partner will have to retain salary or the Kings need to deal someone off the active roster. 

The NHL, NHLPA and the Kings quietly working out an agreement for Voynov's suspension to last into next season, even if the case is thrown out, would be wise for all parties on all levels. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but based on Solomon's comments, the Kings aren't counting on that.

The Kings have made two Cup-winning trades the past three seasons. Lombardi will probably need to make another one in the next month if the Kings want to win their third Cup in four years, but it won't be easy.

Heck, it may be impossible.

5. So can the Kings do it again?

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

The Kings have shown a propensity for catching fire around Game 60. Just like the 2012 and 2014 teams, they could use one more piece at the trade deadline. They are probably not good enough to win the Cup if the playoffs started today. But then again...

...outside of the Blackhawks, who could beat the peak Kings four times out of seven? Nobody in the East, right? Can your heart really trust the Blues again? The Ducks and Sharks? How many times can you put your faith in anyone but Chicago to vanquish Los Angeles?

"Yeah, we’ve been in this position before so we’re comfortable with where we’re at," Doughty said, "but we definitely have to turn on that switch and win some games here."

One final fact to consider about the low points of these three Kings seasons: With 32 games still to play, the Kings are five points out of the playoffs; at the 58-game mark last season, they were four points ahead of the ninth-place team and through 61 games in 2011-12, they were tied for eighth in the West.

There should be some concern in Los Angeles, especially if Quick and the Kings once again wait until the 58- or 61-game mark to step on the gas.

By then, it may be too late.

All statistics via NHL.com and Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com.

Dave Lozo covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @DaveLozo.