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Kings prepare to return to work after All-Star break

The Los Angeles Kings are getting ready to go back to work after the All-Star break, taking the ice on Wednesday against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.

Breaks are always funny creatures, though. There’s always talk of players needing to shake the rust off, for example. And while the combination of the League-mandated bye week, plus several days off for the All-Star Break, gives the team a longer than usual amount of time off, the truth is that we feel like the team pretty much always loses when they’re back from a break.

Last season was the first year that the league combined the bye week and the All-Star break, so we don’t have a ton of data to compare against here. But on February 2, 2019, the Kings lost 4-2 on the road against the New York Islanders. Their prior game was on January 21.

Bye weeks were introduced In the 2017-18 season, and the week was randomly assigned. The Kings had their break from January 7-12 and returned to play on January 13 with a 4-2 loss against the Ducks. Of course, that loss was number three of a six-game losing streak, so it wasn’t really anything special.

Facing the Lightning coming off of the break could be a challenge, given the Lightning’s overall dominance. Then again, the Kings very nearly defeated the Lightning in their last outing. So what I’m saying is — there’s a chance. The Lightning are just as rested — or rusty — as the Kings, having played their last game on Friday, January 17. (The Kings’ last outing was Saturday, January 18, on the road in Philadelphia.) So that’s one less excuse that either team can hang their hat on after the final buzzer.

We will of course break down all the head-to-head team details on game day, so make sure you circle on back over here before the game. But you can be part of the festivities at STAPLES Center to see just how hot the Kings come out of the gate after their leisurely breaks and tropical vacations. Tickets to see the Kings take on the Lightning are available via StubHub.


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