Who’s to Blame for Los Angeles Kings’ Failure to Reach the 2015 NHL Playoffs

The Los Angeles Kings, the 2014 Stanley Cup champions, will not be participating in the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs. Why? Because after a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, the Kings are mathematically eliminated from postseason contention with one game remaining.

How and why are the Kings, by far the NHL's top possession team over the 2014-15 season, not one of the top eight teams in the Western Conference?

They are complicated questions with complicated answers. 

That's why this slideshow has been created. There's no one definitive answer—there are many answers, and maybe none of them offer a satisfying resolution. 

So click through and either enjoy the answers to those questions or revel in the failures of a defending champion falling short of the postseason.

 

(All statistics via stats.hockeyanalysis.com; all salary information via Sportrac)

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