Dominant Defense Puts Kings on Path to Third Jennings Trophy

The Kings won their last championship during the 2013-14 season, which was also the first time they earned the William Jennings for the franchise. The trophy is a team award but is given to the goaltenders, which was solely given to Jonathan Quick that year. Quick would later win his second Jennings Trophy with the Kings in the 2017-18 season, a year that ended with a playoff sweep against the newly formed Vegas Golden Knights. During the 2013-14 season, the team allowed just 174 goals, while in 2017-18, they allowed 203.

The Kings have developed into one of the league's best even-strength teams in the current NHL session, supported by a top ten penalty-killing unit that continues to improve. So far this season, they have allowed only 104 goals, the best in the league, and their 67 goals allowed at even strength are also the fewest. They are on track to secure their status as the best defensive team in the league for the third time in eleven years.

Since the 2013-14 season, the best defensive teams have typically allowed between 170 and 200 goals for the season. Many of these teams were backed by Vezina-caliber goaltenders like Tuukka Rask, Linus Ullmark, and Connor Hellebuyck. This season, however, the league's best defensive team is being led by a goaltender who is not usually in that conversation.

Darcy Kuemper has performed well behind an elite defensive team while also consistently showing his individual prowess but has been an afterthought compared to other elite goaltenders. According to Hockey Reference, he has ranked inside the top ten for goals allowed in the league just three times in his career: 2.33 goals against average in 2018-19 (6th), 2.22 in 2019-20 (4th), and 2.06 this season (2nd). These numbers reflect the team's outstanding defensive performance, but Kuemper also boasts impressive individual statistics, such as his save percentage. For the fourth time in his career, he is in the top ten, and for the third time, he is in the top five with a save percentage of .922 (4th).

For Kuemper there was skepticism being injured twice this year and posting pedestrian numbers before the second injury. Since his return from his latest injury, he's been on the rise towards the league's top goaltenders, posting a record of 10-2-2 with a goals-against average of 1.64 and a save percentage of .938. If he maintains a level of consistency with his play, his name will be landing on the periphery of the Vezina conversion.

The Kings had struggled with stability for a time after Quick's departure from the franchise, but with Pierre-Luc Dubois jettisoned to Washington in exchange for Kuemper, they secured a goaltender who will be with them for a while. After this NHL season, Kuemper will have two additional seasons with the Kings. If this season is a reflection of the level of play he will bring for the remainder of his contract, the Kings' young netminders have some buffer until they find their way to the big club.

The Vezina, however, might be a stretch since Kuemper is with a team that keeps their goaltenders as far away from danger better than any other team in the league, which will inflate their numbers towards elite levels.

Both netminders in Los Angeles see the lowest amount of danger in the league. Kuemper and David Rittich have faced the fewest high-danger shots in the league (116 in all situations, according to Moneypuck). The Kings as a whole, rank second in the categories for total low and medium danger shots. Among goaltenders who have played at least 20 games, Kuemper has allowed the fewest goals in the league, with Rittich ranking third.

For these goaltenders, performing above average has been beneficial for a franchise known for its stinginess on defense. In 26 games, the Kings have allowed two goals or fewer. In those games, 19 were one goal or fewer, and they have recorded shutouts only twice. The Kings are 22-3-1 in those 26 games.

For comparison, in their last Jennings-winning season, they had 21 games allowing two goals, 17 games allowing one goal, and eight shutouts (with Kuemper achieving three of those shutouts). That was arguably the last elite season of Quick's career, with a little help from Kuemper in his first stint in LA before he was traded.

While reaching the 2017-18 numbers might be stretch in the second half of the season, the Kings, led by Kuemper in net and supported by an elite defense, are still on track to secure another Jennings Trophy. However, they also aim to avoid the fate of the last Kings team to win the award. Once, being one of, if not the strongest defensive team hinted at a potential championship run; now, it often indicates a strong regular season without the necessary offensive production and a potential postseason ailment.

While Kuemper and Rittich would be proud to add the Jennings Trophy to their collection, what truly matters for the franchise is competing for the Stanley Cup rather than settling for secondary awards.