Los Angeles Kings' Most Important Games Before the All-Star Game

Through the first quarter of the season, the LA Kings have not played at the level expected of them coming into the year.

It may still be early, but the Kings see themselves outside of the playoff picture.

Things don't get any easier for the Kings, as they have some tough games coming up before the All-Star game that they need to win.

Let’s look at three games against three teams the Kings need to beat, as they look to turn their season around.

San Jose Sharks, December 23

It’s another year, and the San Jose Sharks are still contenders in the west. It’s still early, but the Sharks look to be the favorites to win the Pacific Division yet again.

Just like last season, the Sharks are one of the teams that any playoff contender will have to pass through if it wants to compete for the Stanley Cup.

Before the game against San Jose on Monday night, the Kings are 0-1 against the Sharks this year, losing the decision 4-2.

The Sharks dismissed the Kings in six games in the first round of the playoffs last year, and the Kings will have to figure out a way to beat them on a regular basis if they ever hope to advance deep into the playoffs.

The Kings outplayed San Jose at times during the playoffs but could not contain the skill of the Sharks in the end.

LA added a good deal of talent to the lineup in the summer, and while it still can’t match San Jose’s skill, it's bridged the gap considerably.

Chicago Blackhawks, December 28

It can be argued that the Chicago Blackhawks are the class of the Western Conference and the favorites to represent the west in the Stanley Cup Final.

Just like with San Jose, if a team wants to go deep into the playoffs, it’ll have to get through Jonathan Toews and company.

The Kings have fared poorly against the Blackhawks over the last little while. They have lost their last seven contests to Chicago, and that will have to change.

LA has only played Chicago once this year. The Kings dropped the game 2-1, with their lone goal coming from Jarret Stoll.

It would appear the Kings have the edge in goal with Jonathan Quick, but the Blackhawks boast more top-end talent.

If the Kings are going to get by Chicago, they will need to contain Toews, who has 18 points in November, including the winning goal against LA in their game this year. Not to mention Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa, who have also been on fire this season.

The Kings will get their next chance to reverse their fortunes when the teams meet December 28th in Chicago.

Vancouver Canucks, December 31

The Vancouver Canucks are looking more and more like the team that went to the Stanley Cup Final last year, and that’s a bad thing for the Kings and the rest of the league.

They have won four straight, thanks in part to great goaltending from Cory Schneider.

The Canucks eliminated the Kings in six games in the playoffs two seasons ago.

It’s still a month away, but nonetheless, a win against a contender like the Canucks would be a huge boost to the Kings' confidence.

With the firepower of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, a game against the Canucks is a good way to test that strict defensive system the Kings employ.

LA has played Vancouver once so far this season, losing 3-2 in a close one. The Kings went down 3-0 early in that game, but they scored in the final moments to make things interesting before running out of time.