The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Commentary by Jonathon Naylor Are the Los Angeles Kings really the biggest playoff surprise of recent years? That's certainly the impression we get from media coverage as the silver and black have parlayed their eighth-place finish in the West into a berth in the Stanley Cup Final. But while the Kings have most definitely superseded expectations, they have hardly rode a wave of good luck through the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes. No one outside of California has paid a whole lot of attention to L.A. since the Gretzky days, even though they have racked up at least 95 points in each of the last three seasons. Truth be told, GM Dean Lombardi has amassed an upper-echelon team disguised as an almost-there team. And since he's done it under the radar, most people are shocked by the results this spring. Great teams are usually built from the net out, and the Kings are no exception. Through the 14 games (!) it took L.A. to reach the Final, mesh guard Jonathan Quick has played to Conn Smythe form with a .946 save-percentage. That's a number you rarely see in hockey, particularly during post-season play, and particularly from a goalie who made a workaholic-like 69 starts during the regular season. A key to the Kings' success has been their confidence. And make no mistake, 90 per cent of that confidence comes from playing in front of Quick.
