2014: A Year Of Infamy For The Los Angeles Kings

6 – The long awaited Freeway Playoff series

The NHL (and fans of both teams) liked to call these games between the Kings and the Anaheim Ducks as a battle between rivals but in actuality, before 2014 they were only rivals due to location and not really on the ice.  That all changed when the Ducks beat the Kings in the first ever outdoor game in sunny California (mentioned above).  Things got more heated on and off the ice when fans of both teams got what they wanted (or dreaded) for many years, an elimination playoff series between the 2 teams.  The Kings had just finished beating the other California team the San Jose Sharks (and had faced the Sharks in the playoffs twice before this in 2011 and 2013) and the Ducks had also faced off against the Sharks previously (beating them in 2009) but this was the epic California showdown that everyone was waiting for … and it did not disappoint (well, unless you are a Ducks fan).

Using their momentum from beating the Sharks, the Kings won the first 2 games of the series.  With calmness and patience, plus the fine play of rookie goaltender John Gibson, the Ducks were able to take the next 3 games and push the Kings “against the ropes” and to the brink of elimination (what else is new?).  Like in the Sharks series before, the Kings came back in the final 2 games and blew away the Ducks in game 7, which also was on the road in Anaheim.  This series victory made some more history as the Kings became the first team ever in the NHL to lose 3 straight games in 2 different series and still come out as victors in both those series, in the same playoffs! (Whaaaaat???) Let’s also add the fact that the Ducks had been beating the Kings on a consistent basis during the last 2 regular seasons and that by eliminating the Ducks. The Kings also involuntarily retired the legendary and future first ballot Hall of Famer Teemu Selane, and the talented and well respected (and cancer surviving) Saku Koivu.  I’m sure there will be many more playoff battles between these 2 proud franchises in the near future but I highly doubt that any will be as anticipated and dramatic as this first one proved to be.