Why Los Angeles Kings will eliminate Phoenix Coyotes in Game 4 -NHL Playoffs Special
Los Angeles has definitely proved why they are known as the Kings by putting a team like Phoenix Coyotes on the verge of elimination with their third straight victory in the 2012 National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup Western Conference Playoff Finals.
Kings are on route to making history as they have only lost one game in the entire postseason thus far, that being against Vancouver Canucks in Game 4 of the quarterfinal series against the 2011 Stanley Cup finalists.
Phoenix Coyotes and Mike Smith were expected to give Los Angeles a tough time as they too routed Chicago Blackhawks in just six games and eliminated Nashville Predators in five games to move on to the Western Conference Finals.
Coyotes led the Pacific Division for the first time at the end of the 2011-2012 NHL regular season, over divisional rivals, Los Angeles Kings, but seeing how things have gone so far, the playoffs are certainly a whole different story.
Every player on the Kings’ squad is playing with heart and soul, even Dwight King is making a huge impression the series as he continues to score consistently. King got his fourth goal, the game-winner in Game 3, in the past three games now.
"It's just moving our feet, getting in on forecheck, supporting each other well," Kings’ Jarret Stoll said. "We communicate a lot on the bench, letting each other know where we are and what we expect of each other. We all bring something different to the
table, but [King] is hot right now. He should shoot the puck all the time. His celebration was awesome -- couldn't wait to give him a hug."
Here are some reasons why Los Angeles Kings will take the series and move on to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1993 in Game 4:
Too Hot to Handle
Los Angeles Kings are in no way going to let down their defences and play sloppy in Game 4 since it is especially at home at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.
Not winning a game on the road is one thing, but knowing that they can celebrate a series victory at home will give them that extra boost of confidence to take the series in a perfect manner.
Lack of Penalties Given
Not giving as much penalties as Phoenix has really allowed Los Angeles players to focus on the goal at hand instead of worrying about defending the oppositions extra skater. Kings gave just one power play advantage to Coyotes and killed that one off too.
Wild Shooting
Los Angeles has shot over 100 times on a fatigued Phoenix goalie, Mike Smith, in the past three matchups alone with 80 plus being in the first two on the road. Los Angeles has found Smith’s weakness and ability to penetrate the Phoenix defensemen, which
is basically all you need to win.
Jonathan Quick
The most deserving goalie for this year’s best goaltender award definitely has to be Jonathan Quick. The youngster is playing stupendously and has not given off signs that he is going to slow down anytime soon.
With an impressive .951 save percentage and even better 1.41 goals-against average so far in the playoffs, Quick is quickly forcing people to forget the Tim Thomas of 2011.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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