5 Stats That Should Make the Los Angeles Kings Worried Moving Forward

The Los Angeles Kings are on fire. Let's make that clear. They went 6-0-0 on a home stand for the first time in franchise history and now sit 6-1-1 on the season. They trail the Anaheim Ducks by a single point for first in the Pacific Division, and they've played one less game than their California counterparts. 

So by no means are the Kings in any trouble. There are a few areas where they can improve, and there are statistical categories where they rank poorly. These are five stats that should have Kings fans worried in that they may be the reason behind some losses—if the Kings ever start to lose. 

We've seen teams in the past win championships with weak power plays or bad offensive performances in general. 

The Kings have put any talk of a Stanley Cup hangover to rest. These are a few stats they can improve on to be a better team.

Faceoff Win Percentage: 50.8 Percent

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The Kings have dominated in the faceoff circle in recent years, which has contributed to their ability to win the puck-possession battle. Their depth at center is key, and it's unchanged this year with Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Jarret Stoll in the mix.

However, they haven't been as effective in the dot. L.A. has won 50.8 percent of its draws, which ranks in the middle of the pack. Last season the Kings finished third, having won 52.8 percent of their draws. In the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, they were fourth with a 52.0 percent success rate. 

Here is how the top four centers rank so far in 2014-15:

1. Jeff Carter: 70-of-130 for 53.8 percent 
2. Jarret Stoll: 76-of-147 for 51.7 percent
3. Anze Kopitar: 72-of-147 for 49.0 percent
4. Mike Richards: 39-of-82 for 47.7 percent

Jeff Carter is arguably the team's MVP eight games in and is putting up solid numbers across the board. The problem is with two veterans who are normally very reliable on draws, Kopitar and Richards. They both won more than 53 percent of their faceoffs last season. 

Expect the team's faceoff percentage to go up, but if it doesn't, it will hurt the Kings' possession numbers.

Shots Against: 33.6 Per Game

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The Kings rank 26th in the NHL, giving up an average of 33.6 shots per game. Again, like the faceoff stat, that number is considerably worse than last season, when they finished second in the league to the New Jersey Devils after allowing just 26.2 shots per game. 

Of course, this stat matters very little when you're the best in the NHL with 1.50 goals against per game. The question is, can L.A. continue to give up a ton of shots without the puck finding the back of the net? It probably isn't something they can sustain long term. 

Jonathan Quick has been nothing short of spectacular, but you can't expect even the world's very best to stop 30-plus shots per game, every game. That kind of workload would have to lead to more starts for Martin Jones and/or lead to fatigue becoming a factor for Quick down the stretch.

No Secondary Scoring

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The Kings have scored 21 goals through eight games. That 70s Line has recorded 16 of those. They have accounted for 76.19 percent of the L.A. offense. 

Obviously there are positive and negative aspects to this stat, with the positive side being the dominance displayed by Tanner Pearson, Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. They picked up right where they left off in the playoffs and seem poised to be the best second line in the league. 

However, it's worrisome to think that the rest of the team has scored just five goals. That includes three forward lines and all defensemen. Anze Kopitar has two goals, and Justin Williams, Dwight King and Dustin Brown each have one. 

Not a single goal yet from the blue line. Again, as long as the Kings keep winning, it's really not an issue. But, if That 70s Line has a few off nights, will another line step up and help the Kings win?

Power Play: 18.5 Percent

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No, 18.5 percent isn't a bad power-play percentage, and it certainly looks better than last season. However, it ranks middle-of-the-pack in the league at 18th, and it's possible the success rate may be a bit inflated, as they've played all but one game at home. 

On top of that, it is again a small selection of players who are contributing on the power play—mainly That 70s Line. 

There is room for improvement on offense, and the easiest place to produce more goals is on the power play. The defense should be more involved in generating chances from the point, and hopefully the Kings can maintain their current percentage or get it above 20 percent as they embark on a five-game road trip.

Roster Numbers

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It's not exactly your typical stat, and it's not an issue that comes up often for any team—that is, the number of players available to suit up on any given night.

With Slava Voynov's indefinite suspension, the Kings are beginning to have issues putting enough players on the ice. Here's what Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times reported via Twitter after speaking with general manager Dean Lombardi.

"

He said they will be playing one short tonight - DL most definitely unhappy - called the situation 'a political football '

— lisa dillman (@reallisa) October 28, 2014"

"

Lombardi: "It's one thing for the player to have to pay a penalty.It's another thing for 19 other guys to have to go out there shorthanded."

— lisa dillman (@reallisa) October 28, 2014"

Anze Kopitar will miss a game versus the Philadelphia Flyers October 28 because of an injury sustained against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Marian Gaborik and Trevor Lewis remain out as well.

The Kings are having issues calling a player up from Manchester, as Voynov's contract is still included under the team's salary cap. L.A. has just over half a million in cap space according to CapGeek.com.

Stats current as of October 27 and courtesy of NHL.com.