Still More Work After Turnaround

Their 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday continued an explosive run by the Kings that probably saved their season.

On Dec. 8, the Kings fell a season-high six games below .500 after losing to the Blues, 2-0, at St. Louis in the first game of a make-or-break 18-game stretch that would include 13 games on the road.

Since then, they are 11-3-3--8-2-2 on the road. Saturday’s victory capped a 4-1 trip, matching a record for the best five-game trip in club history.

“This is a [stretch] that we really needed to do well on,” Mathieu Schneider said. “We were at a crossroads in our season, where we could stay in the playoff hunt or bow out of it because everybody above us seemed to keep winning.”

The Kings, who play five of their next six games at Staples Center, have climbed to within one point of the faltering Calgary Flames in the race for the final Western Conference playoff slot.

“We just tried not to get too far ahead of ourselves and just play the game that we have to play and take it from there,” Coach Andy Murray said. “And until somebody tells us, ‘You don’t have a chance to make the playoffs anymore,’ that’s the only way to look at it. We put an emphasis on every game.

“I’m still disappointed that we lost six or seven games earlier in the year that we should have won, so I’m not ready to pat anybody on the back yet.

“Let’s get it done, and then we’ll talk in good terms about it.

“As a coach, obviously you appreciate what’s gone on here of late, but there’s so much more work to be done.”

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Felix Potvin’s 39 saves Saturday were nine more than his previous season high. His career high is 55, in a 4-2 victory for the New York Islanders over the New Jersey Devils on April 12, 1999.

Jerry Crowe