The start of the season for the Los Angeles Kings has been a bit of a roller coaster. They started on the road for the first seven games. Injuries prevented them from presenting their best team. From losing top defender Drew Doughty in the preseason to Alex Turcotte missing time to Darcy Kuemper going down twice, there have been some setbacks.

When it came to the players on the ice, there were a few surprises. Alex Laferrière (nine goals and 15 points), Turcotte and Brandt Clarke (two goals and 13 points) have had a torrid start to the season, whether on the scoresheet or for Turcotte, thanks to his hockey IQ and his overall work ethic. allowed him to have a positive impact on the ice. Speaking of getting on the scoresheet, the Kings defensive group did a lot of that, have the second most goals scored by a defender in the entire league. Although the young players’ quick start is encouraging for what the future holds and the defensive group has contributed greatly to the offensive production, a few players who were expected to play key roles have had a discouraging start.

The elephant in the room has been Quinton Byfield. After showing huge signs of improvement during the preseason, it seems like he’s missed half a step, making virtually no impact most nights. With just two goals and nine points in 18 games played, the explosive, powerful and extremely talented forward struggled to put up points. The Kings’ top scorer last season, Trevor Moore, also struggled to find the back of the net with just one goal in the first 15 games. He seems to have started to find his rhythm with two goals in the last three games, but to start the season it was a worrying scenario.

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With Doughty absent, this featured both Clarke and Jordan Spence the opportunity to rise to the occasion and take on bigger roles. While Clarke has been phenomenal for the most part, the same can’t be said for Spence. There are times where his quick feet and ability to move the puck are visible, but on the other hand, there seems to be too many defensive breakdowns and a lack of awareness in terms of coverage. Among the “regular” defenders on the list, he has the fewest points with four.

Despite all the ups and downs the Kings have been through so far, they ranks second in the Pacific Division with 21 points and a 9-6-3 record. With seven games left in November, the Kings have the opportunity to give themselves a good chance to take the lead in the standings.

Kings remaining schedule for November

Over the next two weeks, the Kings will play five of seven games at home. They have thrived at Crypto.com Arena this season, currently holding a 4-1-1 record. This is where they played some of their best hockey and now they have a chance to capitalize on it.

Five of the next seven games will also be against teams .500 or lower. The Kings have done a very good job of picking up wins against below average teams this season and a few of them are teams they have played before. With a 6-2-1 record against teams that are currently .500 or lower, they should be able to string together some wins as they take on the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Seattle Kraken, the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks.

The Kings have a relatively easy schedule to finish out the month of November, but it’s also important to note that they face the NHL’s best team, the Winnipeg Jets, before the end of the month, along with the Ottawa Senators who scored eight goals against the Kings for the first time this season.

The goal is to win all seven games, but it would be more realistic to ask them to win at least five. If the Kings can win five of their next seven games in November, they will have done their part to move up in the standings.

The Kings are also getting reinforcements to start the next seven games and they couldn’t have come at a better time. Turcotte was activated off injured reserve and should return to the lineup tonight on that top line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. Tanner Jeannot also returns after serving his three-game suspension for his frankly unnecessary hit against Brock Boeser.

Why These Next 7 Games Are Crucial

Half of the lead in the standings goes to the Kings, but the other half goes to their division rivals. What makes the situation even better for the Kings is that most of the teams they currently compete with at the top of the Pacific Division will have tougher schedules over the next couple of weeks.

The Calgary Flames, who are tied with the Kings in points, will face four teams above .500 in their next seven games, including teams like the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Senators. The Vegas Golden Knights will play eight games to finish the month of November, including four against teams .500 or higher. The Golden Knights face the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Senators and Jets. The Edmonton Oilers also face four teams above .500 over the next two weeks, against the Maple Leafs, Senators, Wild and Rangers. The Canucks are the only other team to face just two teams above .500 during the rest of November, as they face both the Rangers and Senators.

Not only is this a great opportunity for the Kings to rack up some points, but it’s crucial that they do so once we take a look at what’s in store for them over the first two weeks of December.

The Kings will play five games to start December, including four against elite teams. Facing the Dallas Stars, Wild, New Jersey Devils and Rangers one after the other won’t be even remotely easy. This is a tough five-game stretch that the Kings are going to have to get through and if they capitalize on the schedule they have until the end of November, the losses that could pile up in early December won’t do as much bad.

The next month will tell us a lot about the 2024-25 Kings. Can they beat teams they should beat consistently? Can they hang on and compete with the league’s elite? Can they recognize the opportunity in front of them right now and dig deep to achieve some victories? So many questions that will be answered relatively soon.