This is just plain not true.
It was harder to see in a short season, but the Kings were a pretty solid team in the regular season last year. They finished with more goals for and fewer goals against than we did, and finished with better advanced stats despite the cup hangover and a really poor season from Quick. I don't think there's any question if you switch our divisions, the Kings would have finished with a good chunk more points than we did.
Guys like Doughty and Richards do seem to crank it up a level in the playoffs (or perhaps just party to hard in the regular season). However, that doesn't mean they aren't a top level team in the regular season as well.
I was not discussing goals or advanced stats, im referring to where they finish at the end of the regular season in the standings. Do you want to look at goals for them the year they won the cup as well? They struggled to score and were 2nd last in the league. Not to mention the cup run year they barely made playoffs.
Sure you could put almost any team in our division and we could assume they would finish with more points but thats purely speculation by us, we had a winning record against the kings last season, same with minny, the season which you are going by, and the one game we lost we blew and lost in a shootout. And do I think either team would have stood a chance against them last year in playoffs? No. But my point is they have not been a consistently dominate regular season team over the past few years. Thats all i was saying, they had some struggles last regular season as well at times when quick was struggling as you also acknowledged. And quick rarely struggles in playoff games, same with richards, and doughty, and brown, those guys turn it up to a next level in playoffs, in regular season I dont see near the effort level put forth by some of the kings top players. Thats just based on my viewing of l.a. games over the past few seasons. And they certainly are not a bad regular season team, but were discussing how many pundits have them finishing 1st, which I dont think they will. I assume you have them finished 1st as well judging by your response.
I personally think san jose will finish first, but I know not everyone will agree with that, la is a popular pick but not one i completely agree with. L.a. definitely has the personnel however.