Schedule Doesn’t Make It Easier

The Kings charged into the holiday season, losing only one of their last eight games before taking a three-day break for Christmas.

But after pulling within two points of the eighth playoff slot in the Western Conference with a 4-2 victory Thursday night over the Ottawa Senators, they slipped to six points behind when they lost Saturday night to the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, and the Dallas Stars won twice over the weekend.

The Kings are 10th in the West with a 14-15-5-2 record and, since their season-opening 2-2 tie against the Phoenix Coyotes, have been at .500 for all of 48 hours this season, the time between Thursday’s victory and Saturday’s loss.

At the Christmas break last season, they had lost four in a row but were 15-12-7-1 and two points out of the playoff race. Still, they needed a 13-2-5-2 stretch run to squeeze into the playoffs.

Looking ahead, 21 of the Kings’ final 46 games will be played against teams ahead of them in the West, among them four each against the division-leading San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. And the Stanley Cup champion Avalanche could have all-star center Peter Forsberg back in its lineup when it plays the Kings for the first time Jan. 26 at Staples Center.

Also ahead are eight games against teams that currently hold playoff positions in the East, plus one against the New Jersey Devils, Stanley Cup finalists last season. They’ll also twice play the Pittsburgh Penguins, who could have Mario Lemieux back in their lineup by the time they play the Kings on Feb. 27 at Pittsburgh.

Only 16 of the Kings’ remaining games are against sub-.500 teams.

TONIGHT

at Phoenix, 6 PST

Fox Sports Net

Site--America West Arena.

Radio--KSPN (1110).

Records--Kings 14-15-5-2, Coyotes 14-14-5-3.

Record vs. Coyotes--0-0-1.

Update--The Coyotes, who scored only one goal in losing twice in three nights to the Mighty Ducks over the weekend, are one of the teams the Kings are chasing in the West. The Kings and Coyotes will meet four times in the next three months.