I mean this is par for the course for this team, picked up right where we left off last year. So far they’ve beaten the teams they’re supposed to beat and lost to the teams they’re supposed to lose to with the exception of the Ottawa game which was a shitshow from both sides and they still ended up with a point. Doughty being out hasn’t made a huge difference in the standings but will likely be the excuse Luc uses to get him and Blakey fat extensions next year. As terrible as they look against real contenders, this is really just your run of the mill black hole team. Always has been.
I posted the up to date numbers sometime last season, but the Kings record against the worst teams in the NHL over the last three seasons was something insane like 39-1-4. It was the best winning percentage by any team vs. the bottom teams in the entire NHL over that time frame.
This is why I don't place any value into the people who say "Well they are a 100 point team"
For one, with OTL and shootouts, the 100 point threshold that many of us grew up with that signified a very good team, means very little now. Also, there are many teams (like the mentioned Ducks and Sharks) who are doing it the right way, trying to accumulate as many top 5 picks as possible to better their chances of landing franchise players for the future. If you aren't a true contender, you are better off being bad, most teams operate this way. The Kings are much more in line quality wise as the Kings teams in the late 90's and early 00's.
Going a combined 13-0-2 vs. the Ducks and Sharks (or whatever it was) means very little to the ultimate goal, because you aren't going to see the Ducks and Sharks in the playoffs.