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NHL Postseason Dissection: Penguins, Kings Have Changes Coming

by Michael Augello

May 24, 2022

in Los Angeles Kings, Metropolitan Division, NHL, Opinion, Pacific Division, Pittsburgh Penguins

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Winners of four Stanley Cups in the 2010s, both the Penguins and the Kings saw an early exit from the 2022 NHL postseason.

With the NHL regular season and the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the rear-view mirror, it is a good time to look at a couple of clubs that were eliminated and see exactly why their season ended.

Today we look at a longtime Eastern Conference contender on the verge of transitioning away from members of the core group that won three Stanley Cups and a two-time Cup winner that surprisingly made the playoffs after emerging from a rebuild.

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Pittsburgh Penguins

What went right?

Pittsburgh got another great year out of Sidney Crosby (84 points), a bounce-back campaign from goalie Tristan Jarry (34-18-6, 2.42 GAA, .919 save percentage) after struggling in the playoffs in 2021, career years out of Jake Guentzel (40 goals) and veteran Kris Letang (68 points), and point-per-game production from Evgeni Malkin after missing most of the first half with knee issues, which helped them make the post-season for the 16th consecutive year.

What went wrong?

Pittsburgh encountered some misfortune just before and during the playoffs, being forced to go with third-stringer Louis Domingue against the New York Rangers after losing Jarry to a broken foot and backup Casey Desmith to a core muscle tear. Leading 3-1, the Penguins lost Crosby to an upper-body injury in Game 5, enabling New York to even the series and win in overtime of Game 7.

What will they do?

The Pens face a difficult summer with the potential of new ownership (Fenway Sports Group) putting the squeeze on GM Ron Hextall’s budget and future plans. Hextall got a jump start in getting free agent Bryan Rust signed to a six-year, $30.75 million extension, but there are questions of whether Malkin and Letang will take hometown discounts to keep the gang together. Reports indicate that both have received low offers from the club, but things might change between now and the beginning of free agency in mid-July.

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Los Angeles Kings

What went right?

The Kings with a mixture of veterans from two Cup winners and youngsters acquired via the draft and trades made the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Jonathan Quick had his best campaign in four seasons and performed like the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner at times in the first round against Edmonton. Center Phillip Danault posted a career-high 27 goals after signing as a free agent, freeing up Anze Kopitar to focus more on the offensive side of the game. Adrian Kempe (35 goals) and Trevor Moore (48 points) had career years, while youngsters Arthur Kaliyev, Sean Durzi, and Mikey Anderson made significant strides.

What went wrong?

Injuries limited Los Angeles during the regular season and in the playoffs. Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty missed more than half the year and the postseason with knee and wrist problems, while the absence of forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Andreas Athanasiou severely hampered the Kings’ ability to generate offense.

What will they do?

The retirement of team captain Dustin Brown and the expiring contracts of blueliners Olli Maatta, Alex Edler, and Troy Stecher give GM Rob Blake more than $20 million in available cap space to work with. The return of Doughty, along with Matt Roy, Sean Walker, and the developing Durzi, Anderson, and Tobias Bjornfot give LA a solid foundation on defense, but Blake may be looking for a veteran blueliner.

Quick’s success could allow the Kings to shop the 36-year-old with one year left on his contract and transition to Cal Petersen, but their likely focus will be adding scoring forwards via trade and free agency.