Record Is on the Rise

The Kings have never won the President’s Trophy, presented annually to the NHL team with the league’s best regular-season record. Nor will they win it this season, thanks to one of the worst starts in franchise history.

But since Dec. 8, when a 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues left them two points out of last place in the Western Conference, the Kings are 21-6-4-1, tied with the league-leading Detroit Red Wings and Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Flyers for the league’s best record.

Over the last 12 weeks, the Kings have been seven points better than the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, 14 better than the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes and seven better than the division-leading Boston Bruins.

In the Pacific Division, they’ve erased all but five points of what had been a 14-point advantage for the division-leading San Jose Sharks.

They’ve been 14 points better than the Phoenix Coyotes, 15 better than the Dallas Stars.

Tied with the Mighty Ducks on Dec. 9, they’ve left them 18 points behind.

The Calgary Flames, who on Dec. 9 were 14 points ahead of the Kings in the Western Conference playoff race, now trail them by nine.

“We’ve been playing very well,” General Manager Dave Taylor said.

“Around the first of December our goaltenders started to play better for us. Where we’ve won a lot of games is, our defensive play has been very good.”

The Kings have given up 2.09 goals a game in their last 32 games and have moved up to fifth in the league in goals-against average.

*

With an overall record of 29-20-8-3, the Kings are 10 points better than they were at this point last season, when they were 25-26-8-1.... The return of Coach Andy Murray, recuperating from post-concussion syndrome at home in Faribault, Minn., after last month’s auto accident, remains uncertain. “I hope it’s sooner rather than later,” Taylor said, “but I don’t have a time frame.”