Kings' Playoff Hopes Hinge on Crucial Week

0:00It's March 23rd. This is NHL News Today, powered by AI Everything Happening With Your Team. I'm Corey with The Story. The Los Angeles Kings are staring down a Maker Break Week in their push for the playoffs. Sitting just two points behind the Nashville Predators for the final wall card spot in the Western Conference, the team has struggled lately, dropping. 12 of their last 17 games. Coming off a heartbreaking 4-3 overtime loss to the Utah mammoth on Sunday, the Kingsaw Trade Acquisition, Artemis Penerin tie it late, but they couldn't close it out. The pressure mounted with the firing of head coach Jim Hiller and now DJ. Smith is stepping in as interim coach to steady things. Fans are on edge as the playoffs bubble titans, but there's some good news with forward Joel Armia returning from injured reserve to add depth and penalty killing help. Captain Anzacopatar also hit a milestone recently, breaking the franchise record for all time points amid the tough stretch.

1:00The schedule gets no easier with three key games ahead. They travel to face the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, March 24th at 6 p.m., Pacific time, then the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, March 26th at 7 p.m., before hosting Utah at home on Saturday, March 28th at 6 p.m. These matchups against division rivals could swing their fate, so every shift counts as the Kings fight to extend their season.