Keeping up with Western strongboys is the challenge for this solid club

By L. Jon Wertheim

Jason Allison.  David E. Klutho SI Fast Fact In '01-02 the Kings were first in the league in PP efficiency, third in PK. The only other team in the Top 5 in both categories was Colorado. SI Insider Rankings Offense: 8 Stacked with players who create chances and finish Defense: 13 Miller's injury and loss of Boucher could hurt Goaltending: 16 Streaky Potvin needs to be more consistent Special Teams: 2 Allison top PP forward; Belanger, Deadmarsh lead PK Management: 7 Few coaches better prepared than Murray

Before last season coach Andy Murray produced an inspirational video using the slogan The Best Ever, signifying the team goal of winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup. Last month he arrived at training camp with T-shirts bearing a more cryptic message: the image of the Cup accompanied by THE STANDARD? Murray explained that it was up to the players to define what the standard will be for the Kings this season.

The players, however, could be forgiven for thinking the shirts should have read, STANDARD & POOR. While other teams in the talent-heavy Western Conference made radical improvements over the summer, Los Angeles virtually stood pat. That was disappointing to many of the Kings, particularly after they had had the league's best record from Dec. 1 (33-15-8-2) through the end of the season and had pushed defending champion Colorado to seven games in an exhilarating first-round series. "You look at Phoenix, Anaheim, Dallas -- they all got better," says center Jason Allison. "We're going to have to play our best just to make the playoffs."

At least the Kings' unchanged lineup is a strong one. Allison, a rare center capable of taking over games ("Shaq of the NHL," Murray calls him), finished second in the league with 55 assists; he and wings Adam Deadmarsh and Ziggy Palffy form as good a line as there is in the league. Also, Los Angeles's special teams led the NHL in power-play efficiency (20.6%) and finished third in penalty killing (86.6%).

But when the first line isn't on the ice, there's an appreciable drop in production. Center Bryan Smolinski, for example, is coming off his worst scoring full season (38 points) as a pro. Also, should goalie Felix Potvin falter, there is no battle-tested backup. On the other hand, the more optimistic Kings point out, there will be minutes aplenty for young players such as flashy 20-year-old forward Alexander Frolov, a Russian who was impressive at the world junior championships. Says captain Mattias Norstrom, "We're heading in the right direction."

Even so, with L.A.'s roster unchanged, the notion of the team advancing even as far as the conference finals is a lofty standard by any definition.

Issue date: October 14, 2002