The Kings Just Beat Seattle and Nobody in the West Saw It Coming: LA Is One Point Away From a Higher Seed

The Los Angeles Kings walked into Climate Pledge Arena on Monday night and did something they hadn't done all season: beat the Kraken. They won 5-3, and with that victory, they clinched a Stanley Cup playoff spot while moving within one point of the Utah Mammoth for the first wild-card seed in the Western Conference. This is huge. The Kings are rolling right now, and the Canucks, who are dead last in the league, are about to get smoked on Tuesday night.

Five Straight Wins and a Captain's Quest

Quinton Byfield was the star on Monday, lighting the lamp twice to lead LA's attack. Alex Laferriere and Trevor Moore each added goals and assists, while Adrian Kempe chipped in with another score. Anton Forsberg stood on his head in net with 28 saves. This was the Kings' fifth straight win, and they've picked up points in seven consecutive games (6-0-1). Trevor Moore summed up what this run means: "It was dicey there for a while, but I'm really proud of our group for sticking together, believing in ourselves and going on this run."

Here's the thing that makes this story even better: Byfield and the Kings made it clear that captain Anze Kopitar's legacy was the driving force. At the start of the season, they talked about it. They wanted to get their veteran leader one more playoff shot after everything he's done for the organization. "You want to do it for one another, but at the beginning of the year, we talked about it," Byfield said. "We wanted to give Kopi another shot for what he's done for the organization. It's the least we could do."

Vancouver Has No Answers, But They're Not Dead Yet

The Canucks sit at the absolute bottom of the league standings with a 24-48-8 record and just 56 points. But don't sleep on them completely. Vancouver has won back-to-back games, including a 4-3 overtime thriller against Anaheim on Sunday night. Curtis Douglas, Jake DeBrusk, and Brock Boeser scored in regulation, and Marco Rossi buried a power-play goal with 10 seconds left in overtime to seal it. Nikita Tolopilo made 24 saves.

Douglas's moment was special. Playing in his 41st career game, he scored his first NHL goal to tie it 1-1. "It was pretty cool having everyone so excited. It was almost like they scored," he said. "I have chills right now just talking about it. I don't want to get emotional, but it was really, really special." Coach Adam Foote is seeing something click: "Easily could have not played with the intensity or urgency we've seen the last three or four games, but they keep pushing, and they're gelling together."

The Kings are 1-2-1 against Seattle this season, but they're looking to complete the sweep on Tuesday night. After that, Vancouver heads home for their final game before wrapping up in Edmonton on Thursday. With just two games left for both teams, LA is hunting that higher seed.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.