Well, well. It looks as if we’ve got a three-team race for the Pacific Division title after all.
The Kings, who enjoyed a double-digit points lead during the holidays, suddenly are being pressured by their California rivals in Anaheim and San Jose. The Ducks are two points behind the Kings (both teams were idle Friday) and the Sharks were three back with a game in hand heading into Friday’s game at Carolina.
Since beating Dallas on Jan. 19 to improve to 29-13-3, the sputtering Kings have gone 4-7-1. All-Star goalie Jonathan Quick got dinged, forward Marian Gaborik suffered an injury, and Los Angeles continues to try to find the right mix on its blue line.