Editing Los Angeles Kings (section)

===Stanley Cup championships (2011–2014)===
A bad start to the [[2011–12 NHL season|2011–12 season]] resulted in coach [[Terry Murray]] being fired, with [[Darryl Sutter]] being chosen as his replacement. The Kings were much improved under Sutter, finishing with the eighth seed after trading for [[Jeff Carter]] midseason and having finishing the season with a 40–27–15 record for 95 points. The Kings then headed into the [[2012 Stanley Cup playoffs|2012 playoffs]] against the back-to-back [[Presidents' Trophy]]-winning [[Vancouver Canucks]]. After playing two games in [[Vancouver]] and one in Los Angeles, the Kings were up 3–0 in the series, a franchise first. By winning Game 5 in Vancouver in overtime, the Kings advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time since the 2000–01 season, whereupon they swept the second-seeded St. Louis Blues, advancing to the conference finals for only the second time in franchise history. In doing so, the Kings also became the first NHL team to enter the playoffs as the eighth seed and eliminate the first- and second-seeded teams in the conference. They then defeated Phoenix in five games to reach the [[2012 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]], culminating in an overtime goal by [[Dustin Penner]] in Game 5, and thus becoming the second team in NHL history to beat the top three Conference seeds in the playoffs (the Calgary Flames achieved the same feat in 2004, ironically also under Darryl Sutter) and the first eighth seed to accomplish the feat.<ref name=grind>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles/kings/post/_/id/127/these-kings-built-for-cup-grind|title=These Kings built for Cup grind|author=Markazi, Arash|date=June 7, 2014|publisher=ESPN|access-date=January 30, 2016}}</ref>

Los Angeles faced the [[New Jersey Devils]] in the Cup Finals, defeating them in six games to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.<ref name="Unthinkable">{{cite news | last = Matsuda | first = Gann | url = http://frozenroyalty.net/2012/06/12/los-angeles-kings-win-2012-stanley-cup-turning-dreams-into-reality-the-unthinkable-into-fact |title = Los Angeles Kings Win 2012 Stanley Cup, Turning Dreams into Reality, The Unthinkable into Fact | publisher = Gann Matsuda/FrozenRoyalty.net | date =June 12, 2012 | access-date =July 31, 2015}}</ref> With the Game 6 victory occurring on home ice at Staples Center, the Kings became the first team since the [[2007 Stanley Cup Finals|2007]] Anaheim Ducks to win the Stanley Cup at home, as well as the second Californian NHL team to do so.<ref name="LATimes-Dillmant">{{cite news | last = Dillman | first = Lisa | title = Kings Win The Stanley Cup With 6–1 Victory Over Devils | url = http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/11/sports/la-sp-kings-devils-20120612 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120613101410/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/11/sports/la-sp-kings-devils-20120612 | url-status = dead | archive-date = June 13, 2012 | date =June 11, 2012 | work=Los Angeles Times | access-date =November 2, 2012}}</ref> The Kings became the first eight seed champion in any of the North American major leagues, the first Stanley Cup champion that finished below fifth in its conference, and the third to finish below second in its division (after the 1993 Canadiens and the 1995 Devils).<ref name=grind/> Goaltender Jonathan Quick was awarded the [[Conn Smythe Trophy]] as the most valuable player during the playoffs, and soon after signed a ten-year contract extension on June 28.<ref name="QuickSigns10">{{cite press release | title = Kings, Quick agree in principle on 10-year deal | url = http://kings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=636351 | publisher = Los Angeles Kings | date =June 28, 2012 | access-date =July 25, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Dustin Brown and the Stanley Cup.jpg|thumb|left|[[Dustin Brown (ice hockey)|Dustin Brown]] with the [[Stanley Cup]] during the Kings' victory parade, after defeating the [[New Jersey Devils]] in the [[2012 Stanley Cup Finals]].]]
Due to the [[2012–13 NHL lockout]], the [[2012–13 NHL season]] began on January 19, 2013, and was shortened to 48 games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/nhl/story/_/id/8840508/los-angeles-kings-get-anthony-stewart-2-draft-picks-deal-carolina-hurricanes|title=Kings trade for Anthony Stewart|date=January 13, 2013|first=Arash|last=Markazi|publisher=ESPN|access-date=January 7, 2016}}</ref> The Kings finished the season as the fifth seed in the West and began the defense of the Cup on the road against the St. Louis Blues, who they swept in the 2012 playoffs.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2013/04/29/first-round-preview-no-4-st-louis-blues-vs-no-5-los-angeles-kings|title=NHL playoffs preview: No. 4 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Kings|author=Muir, Allan|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=April 29, 2013 |access-date=May 31, 2013}}</ref> After losing the first two games, the Kings won four in a row to eliminate the Blues in six games.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2013/05/11/kings-eliminate-blues-with-a-game-6-victory|title=NHL playoffs: L.A. Kings eliminate St. Louis Blues with 2–1 victory in Game 6|author=Dater, Adrian|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=May 11, 2013 |access-date=May 31, 2013}}</ref> In the second round, they then played a very tough San Jose Sharks team, this time with home-ice advantage. In the first game, [[Jarret Stoll]] suffered an injury from the Sharks' [[Raffi Torres]], who ended up being suspended for the rest of the series. The Kings eventually won in seven games. In the conference finals, they faced the number one seed in the West and Presidents' Trophy winning-[[Chicago Blackhawks]]. After dropping the first two games, the Kings won Game 3 with Jeff Carter suffering an injury from Blackhawks defenseman [[Duncan Keith]], who was suspended for Game 4 as a result. After losing Game 4, the Kings battled the Blackhawks through two overtime periods in Game 5, with [[Patrick Kane]] eventually scoring the game-winning goal that won the game and the series, sending the Blackhawks to the [[2013 Stanley Cup Finals]] against the [[Boston Bruins]] (whom they defeated in six games for their second Stanley Cup in four seasons) and ending the Kings' season.<ref name="CHI">{{cite news |last=LeBrun |first=Pierre |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/25087/blackhawks-roll-right-into-a-finals-berth |title=Blackhawks Roll Right into A Finals Berth |publisher=ESPN |date=June 8, 2013 |access-date=July 31, 2015}}</ref>

During the 2013–14 season, the Kings acquired [[Marián Gáborík|Marian Gaborik]], and qualified for their fifth straight playoffs with the sixth-best result of the West.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=715863|title=LA Kings Season in Review – How Did We Get Here? |publisher=National Hockey League |date=April 21, 2014 |access-date=June 9, 2014}}</ref> In the first round of the [[2014 Stanley Cup playoffs|2014 playoffs]], the Kings played their in-state rivals, the San Jose Sharks. After losing the first three games to the Sharks, the Kings became the fourth team in NHL history to win the final four games in a row after initially being down three games to none, beating the Sharks in San Jose in the deciding Game 7. In the second round, the Kings played another in-state rival, Anaheim. After starting the series with two wins, the Kings lost three-straight games, trailing the series three games to two. However, for the second time in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Kings were able to rally back after being down in the series and defeated the Ducks in Anaheim in Game 7. In the third round, the Kings jumped out to a three-games-to-one lead against Stanley Cup-defending Chicago, but were unable to close out the series in the fifth and sixth games. On June 1, 2014, the Kings advanced to the [[2014 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]] for the second time in three years after winning Game 7, 4–3, in overtime through a goal from [[Alec Martinez]], clinching their third Western Conference title in franchise history.<ref name = "MediaGuide201516">{{cite book | last = Kalinowski | first = Mike | title = Los Angeles Kings 2015–16 Media Guide | publisher = Los Angeles Kings | page = 299}}</ref> The Kings became the first team in NHL history to win three Game 7s en route to a Stanley Cup Finals berth. Not only were the Kings the first team in history to accomplish this feat, but they also managed to win all game sevens on opposing ice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/madhouse-enforcer/Blackhawks-Lead-Kings-3-2-After-First-Period--261461311.html |title=Blackhawks Eliminated in 5–4 Loss to Kings |publisher=NBC Chicago |date=June 1, 2014 |access-date=June 9, 2014}}</ref> For the third time, the Kings were finalists after finishing third in their division and sixth or lower in their conference.<ref name=grind/>

[[File:2014 Stanley Cup Champion (14255262059).jpg|thumb|Parade held for the 2013–14 Kings team, shortly after they won their second Stanley Cup.]]
In the [[2014 Stanley Cup|Stanley Cup Finals]], the Kings faced the [[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Eastern Conference]]-winning [[New York Rangers]], who had defeated the [[Montreal Canadiens]] in six games in the conference finals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/05/29/montreal-canadiens-eliminated-in-game-6-loss-to-new-york-rangers/ |title=Montreal Canadiens' playoff run ends with Game 6 loss to New York Rangers |work=National Post |date=May 29, 2014 |access-date=June 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140610024639/http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/05/29/montreal-canadiens-eliminated-in-game-6-loss-to-new-york-rangers/ |archive-date=June 10, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Kings won the Stanley Cup in five games, culminating with an [[Alec Martinez]] goal in the second overtime of Game 5 at [[Staples Center]]. The championship run had a record-tying 26 playoff games (the 1986–87 Philadelphia Flyers and 2003–04 Calgary Flames being the others), with the Kings facing elimination a record seven times.<ref name="Kings road to Cup after winning">{{cite web |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=722681 |title=Kings' road to second Cup much harder than 2012 |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |last=Masisak |first=Corey |date=June 14, 2014 |access-date=June 15, 2014}}</ref> With their Game 7 victory in the conference finals and wins in the first two games of the Cup Finals, they became the first team to win three consecutive playoff games after trailing by more than one goal in each game.<ref name="2014 Kings playoff run">{{cite web |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=722046 |title=Kings making history with comebacks |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |date=June 8, 2014 |access-date=June 15, 2014}}</ref> [[Justin Williams]], who scored twice in the Cup Finals and had points in all three Game 7s throughout the playoffs, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=722657#&navid=nhl-search |title=Kings forward Williams wins Conn Smythe Trophy |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |date=June 15, 2014 |access-date=June 18, 2014}}</ref>