Overview
- Player development coach Matt Greene moves behind the bench as an assistant on Smith’s staff, the team announced.
- Los Angeles is 24-21-14 (62 points) and trails Seattle by three points for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.
- The decision followed a post-Olympic skid that included a 6-4 loss to Vegas and an 8-1 defeat to Edmonton that drew “Fire Hiller” chants, with a 2-0 win over Calgary not altering the outcome.
- Hiller compiled a 93-58-24 record over 175 games with two playoff berths but no series wins, as the Kings repeatedly fell to the Oilers in the first round.
- Offensive struggles persist despite the Artemi Panarin acquisition, and injuries have mounted with Kevin Fiala out for the season after a broken leg at the Olympics as the trade deadline approaches on March 6.