from Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider,

The Kings are surely trying to focus on their own game – and Darryl Sutter said as much this morning – but it’s impossible not to acknowledge that the five-game road trip that opens tonight in New Jersey pits Los Angeles against an array of dangerous teams and Stanley Cup contenders.

Players and coaches will often say that winning the first game of an extended road trip is important, which would make tonight’s game against the Devils, who have the fewest points of any opponent on the trip, a crucially important game on trip that could “make-or-break” the Kings’ playoff chances.

“Yeah, we’ve got to look at it that way,” Anze Kopitar said. “I think a lot, not all of it, is going to depend on this road trip. Obviously you’re playing east teams where you have to get points to pretty much keep pace. We’re going to have to bring it, for sure.”...

So never mind that they’ll also play tomorrow night against the President’s Trophy-chasing New York Rangers, or on Thursday against a New York Islanders team looking to lock down home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Forget about Saturday’s game against red hot Minnesota and Monday’s Western Conference Final rematch against Chicago.

Kopitar temporarily removed the late season blinders to speak about the importance of this upcoming stretch.

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