by Dan Adkisson
The Los Angeles Kings started the current NHL campaign in the best possible way. After 31 games, they found themselves flying high near the summit of the Pacific Division, with 20 victories against just 11 losses. Then, out of nowhere, they capitulated.
The SoCal outfit has lost their last seven games on the bounce and is in the midst of their ninth-worst losing streak in franchise history. It is their fourth-worst losing streak of the last two decades and should they lose the next five games, it will be their worst spell of all time. With difficult tests against the likes of Carolina, Dallas, and the Metropolitan Division topping New York Rangers all still to come, things could get worse before they get better.
Even though they have reached the postseason in each of the last two seasons, the Crypto.com Arena outfit hasn’t won a playoff game since they lifted the Stanley Cup back in 2014. Despite that, they were among the favorites for glory this year, considering their scintillating start to the current season. However, the NHL odds for their upcoming games have been pushed way out thanks to their current miserable form, and some establishments have listed them as long as +1500 to lift the coveted trophy for the first time in a decade.
The Kings have had some miserable runs of form in the last 20 years, and here are their worst three. Their current squad will be hoping that they can stop the rot in order to not feature on this list in the years to come.
12-game losing streak in 2004-2005
The Kings’ first worst losing streak in history began towards the latter end of the 2003/04 season. They hadn’t performed at their best throughout the course of the campaign and needed to win a substantial number of their remaining 11 games if they were to qualify for the postseason. Inexplicably, however, they lost all of them.
The streak started with four consecutive losses on home turf, beginning with back-to-back 5-3 defeats to the Blues and Sharks. Two more home defeats followed before four consecutive defeats on the road, three of which came by just one goal – including a particularly heartbreaking overtime defeat at Calgary. Eight defeats on the spin had already torpedoed their postseason aspirations, but they still managed to lose three more games before ending the season with a paltry 28 wins from their 82 games.
If that wasn’t bad enough, even an entire season being canceled due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout couldn’t stop the rot. They lost their opening game of the 2005-06 season by a score of five goals to four against the Dallas Stars. But then, they would finally get their first victory in 489 days with a 3-2 victory at home to the Phoenix Coyotes.
10-game losing streak in 2019
In 2018-19, the Kings had an abysmal season, and it was capped off with a 10-game losing streak toward the end of the campaign. The team finished the season with a dismal record of 31 wins and 42 losses that left them rooted at the foot of the Western Conference. Despite the difficult season, there were a couple of bright points, such as the breakout performances of young stars like forward Adrian Kempe and defenseman Sean Walker.
The run came as a result of the Kings having the leakiest defense in the entire league. Throughout the ten-game stretch, they conceded an almighty 44 goals beginning with a 5-4 loss against the Bruins at TD Garden in Boston. They then shipped six more goals to the Capitals in Washington, as well as 16 goals in just three road games played in Florida, Tampa Bay, and Carolina.
Although the 10-game losing streak may have been tough to endure for fans, it was a necessary evil for the team to rebuild and improve in future seasons. And the end to the streak at least came in satisfying fashion, defeating the Blackhawks 6-3 at Staples Center.
8-game losing streak in 2007
Before the 2007 holiday season, the Kings went on an 8-game losing streak, which was their third-worst losing streak in the past 20 years. At the time, the SoCal squad had several injuries and were struggling to find consistent goaltending. The losing streak was the lowest point in a campaign full of lows, with the Kings finishing with a shocking 32 wins and 43 losses, leaving them rooted at the foot of the Western Conference.
The emerging talent of defenseman Jack Johnson was the sole high point of the campaign, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Kings faithful satisfied, resulting in coach Marc Crawford losing his job. In contrast to their ten-game losing streak just over a decade later, this time the string of losses began with a 6-3 defeat to Chicago. Throughout the last three games, they lost by just one goal, proving that they could compete if they just got a bit of luck, and that duly came on December 29th with a 3-1 road win over the Avalanche in Colorado.