The LA Kings have officially qualified for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs following a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
The Kings, with 100 points and a 45-22-10 record, became the third team in the Western Conference and ninth team in the NHL to secure a playoff berth to compete for the Stanley Cup. With five regular-season games remaining, the team's 100 points already rank tied for fifth-most all-time in franchise history. This year's Kings are the second-fastest team in franchise history to reach the 100-point plateau (77 games), trailing only the 1974-75 team (76 games). Earlier this year, the team tied the 1990-91 Kings as the third-fastest team in franchise history to reach the 40-win mark in a single season, doing so in 69 games.
The 2023 postseason appearance marks their second consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and 32nd postseason berth in franchise history. It is the first time the Kings have reached the playoffs in back-to-back years since qualifying five-straight years (2010-14), during which time current captain Anze Kopitar and alternate captain Drew Doughty helped the Kings capture the first two Stanley Cups (2012, 2014) in franchise history. During the 2014 championship run, Kopitar led the NHL in playoff scoring with 26 points (5-21=26) in 26 games.