Shame on you puck prognosticators everywhere.
With goalie Jonathan Quick, top-line center Anze Kopitar and No. 1 defenseman Drew Doughty—all established and young All-Stars who possess upside—manning the most important positions on the ice, the Los Angeles Kings have to be considered a Stanley Cup favorite.
Yet they are not the sexy preseason pick.
The defending champion Chicago Blackhawks are the consensus choice. Vegas likes the Pittsburgh Penguins and Bovada favors Chicago. Both see the Kings no better than 12-to-1, with higher expectations for the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues.
It obviously takes more than three players to form a great team. A champion displays all sorts of characteristics, needs to avoid the injury bug and has to get its fair share of good fortune along the way. Those things are a lot harder to control and forecast.
What the Kings can control—personnel decisions, player development and ...
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Article written by Ross McKeon