Kings Ascending the Throne in Pacific Division

The Los Angeles Kings are ascending the throne in the Pacific Division after a fast start.

Nov 9, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings left wing Trevor Moore (12) celebrates with teammates after scoring during the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Through the first part of the season, the Los Angeles Kings are off to an ideal start. It's still early in the 2024-2025 campaign, but the Kings are showing the Pacific Division and Western Conference that they are not to be taken lightly.

The Kings are off to a 9-4-3 record through their first 16 games. While they certainly viewed themselves as a playoff team entering the season, there was general concern about how far this team could go. So far, they are silencing all doubters by playing an extremely balanced game and it starts with their coaching.

Jim Hiller is in his first full season as the Kings' head coach, but so far he's showing a veteran wisdom with his club. One area he's displaying it is the way he's juggling his forward lines and defensive pairings. He has a lot of talent at his disposal, but he's found a way to blend different playing styles and strengths together. Instead of forcing some of his "best" players into the top-six, he's spread out his three best centers. Instead of forcing extra minutes on any one defenseman, he's spread out the minutes amongst all three pairings in the absence of Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty.

Now, Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault, and Quinton Byfield have their own wingers that complement each of their games. Kopitar has a shooting winger who makes a living in front of the net in Adrian Kempe and a hard working, speedy winger on his other side in Trevor Lewis.

Danault, arguably the team's best defensive center, balances the offensive-first mindset of winger Kevin Fiala while Trevor Moore is one of the most underrated two-way forwrads in the game.

And then there's the young star that is Quinton Byfield. It's been a slow trot out of the gate in his fourth full season in the NHL, but he's come alive playing alongside the sneaky Alex Laferriere and former Edmonton Oilers winger and 20-goal scorer Warren Foegele. It seems like whichever line or pairing Hiller makes adjustments to, he's pushing the right button at the right time with each decision he makes.

Backing them up is some surprising goaltending from an odd-ball pairing in Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich. Kuemper, a Stanley Cup winner with the Colorado Avalanche, is having a strong first season back with the Kings. He's not wowing anybody, but he's managed to post a high-danger save percentage of .846%. According to NHL EDGE, that number puts him in the 75th percentile in that category. He may not make every save, but he's showing that he can make the crucial ones when the team needs it, and it's leading to him earning points in seven of his first eight starts this season.

Rittich meanwhile is doing exactly what your back-up should do. He holds a 5-3 record and he's stopped at least 90% of the shots against him in give of his eight starts. He's proving to be a capable running mate for Kuemper, and if utilized correctly, should continue to provide stable goaltending in relief.

Now, the biggest question facing the Kings is whether they can keep this going. Their team has been strong to start the year and they've ascended to the throne of the Pacific Division because of it. With some brilliant coaching decisions and a group of players motivated and battling for each other, it could be hard to remove the Kings from the throne they are now sitting on.

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