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There might be some bad juju around the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers. After the Oilers eliminated the Kings on Thursday in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Anze Kopitar feels that it's a reflection on the season.
After going 48-25-9 for 105 total points, the Kings were a premier team in the Western Conference. Still, they fell to the Oilers for the fourth consecutive season. Kopitar explained via ESPN why this year's loss stings.
“This one's tough to swallow, obviously,” Kopitar said. “Having the season we had and to have the guys in this locker room and come up short again, it's frustrating — this one hurts a little more.”
The Slovenian center has had an exceptional career. He is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and a five-time All-Star. His consistency has been most impressive considering his 18-year career.
Either way, another first-round exit has to weigh heavily on the team heading into their offseason.
Anze Kopitar feels the Kings' pain after Oilers defeat
Losing in the first round for four years straight isn't easy. However, losing to the same team for those four years has to weigh more. However, there's a clear reason for it.
Edmonton has two of the game's top players in Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. The latter is making his case for being one of the best NHL players of all time.
He might be reaching that echelon sooner rather than later. McDavid even dropped a truth bomb about beating the Kings yet again.
This year though, there were opportunities for Los Angeles to shut the door. However, they didn't take advantage of the opportunity to do so. Kopitar elaborated a bit more, according to Mark Spector of SportsNet
“You can pinpoint Game 3, and we didn’t close out Game 4,” said the great Anze Kopitar, who had nine points in the series but went minus-6. At 37, those ageing legs just don’t keep up with the McDavids the way they once did.
“That’s a completely different series if we go home up 3-1 versus 2-2,” he said. “But, coulda, woulda, shoulda…”
Kopitar definitely has more years behind him than in front of him, at least in the NHL. However, something clearly has to change. Losing to the same team four consecutive years might mean the Kings make drastic moves.
As a team that wants to win now, they are at a crossroads. Could Los Angeles embrace a rebuild? Will they try and build a winning team for Kopitar?
Plenty of those questions will be answered in the offseason. However, the fourth series loss to the Oilers might be the nail in the coffin of any win-now motives.
