1974–75 Los Angeles Kings season

1974–75 Los Angeles Kings
Division	2nd Norris
1974–75 record	42–17–21
Goals for	269
Goals against	185
Team information
General Manager	Jake Milford
Coach	Bob Pulford
Captain	Terry Harper
Alternate captains	Dan Maloney Juha Widing
Team leaders
<1973–74	1975–76>

Offseason

Defenseman Barry Long (3G, 19Ast, plus/minus = +25) jumped to the Edmonton Oilers of the WHA.

Regular season

The Kings were coming off their first playoff appearance in 5 years and the season before finished with a .500 record and scored more goals than they allowed for the first time in club history. Still, they were placed in a division with the powerful Montreal Canadiens in the 1974-75 realignment and hockey experts joked that Montreal would clinch 1st place by Christmas. But the Kings started fast, losing only twice in their first 26 games. The Canadiens finally overtook them and clinched first place with only 3 games to play. In addition, the Kings had allowed the fewest goals in the most of the season (which would have earned their goaltender tandem of Rogie Vachon and Gary Edwards the Vezina Trophy under 1975 rules). But they faltered just enough at the end and the Philadelphia Flyers earned that honor by a mere 4 goals.

Playoffs

With the 4th best record in the league, the Kings were hopeful of a deep playoff run. But because they finished 2nd in the division, they had to play in the dangerous 2 out of 3 mini series. Their opponent was the Toronto Maple Leafs, who were under .500 on the season, finishing 27 points behind the Kings. But a hot goalie can carry a team and Toronto's Gord McRae got hot at the wrong time for the Kings. Toronto scored a late goal in game 1 but the Kings won in overtime, 3-2. Toronto won game 2 in overtime by the same 3-2 score, and won game 3 in L.A. 2-1. Three of the four higher seeded teams lost in the mini series.

Final standings

Norris Division

		GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	DIFF	Pts
1	Montreal Canadiens	80	47	14	19	374	225	+149	113
2	Los Angeles Kings	80	42	17	21	269	185	+84	105
3	Pittsburgh Penguins	80	37	28	15	326	289	+37	89
4	Detroit Red Wings	80	23	45	12	259	335	−76	58
5	Washington Capitals	80	8	67	5	181	446	−265	21

Schedule and results

No.	R	Date	Score	Opponent	Record
1	W	October 10, 1974	5–3	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75)	1–0–0
2	T	October 12, 1974	4–4	@ Montreal Canadiens (1974–75)	1–0–1
3	W	October 13, 1974	4–1	@ Buffalo Sabres (1974–75)	2–0–1
4	T	October 15, 1974	1–1	@ Washington Capitals (1974–75)	2–0–2
5	T	October 16, 1974	1–1	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75)	2–0–3
6	W	October 19, 1974	3–0	Kansas City Scouts (1974–75)	3–0–3
7	L	October 22, 1974	2–4	Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75)	3–1–3
8	W	October 24, 1974	7–2	Buffalo Sabres (1974–75)	4–1–3
9	W	October 26, 1974	5–1	California Golden Seals (1974–75)	5–1–3
10	W	October 28, 1974	2–0	Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75)	6–1–3
11	T	October 31, 1974	1–1	St. Louis Blues (1974–75)	6–1–4
12	W	November 2, 1974	5–1	Detroit Red Wings (1974–75)	7–1–4
13	W	November 5, 1974	4–3	@ St. Louis Blues (1974–75)	8–1–4
14	W	November 7, 1974	5–3	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75)	9–1–4
15	T	November 9, 1974	2–2	New York Rangers (1974–75)	9–1–5
16	W	November 13, 1974	4–0	Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75)	10–1–5
17	T	November 15, 1974	2–2	@ Vancouver Canucks (1974–75)	10–1–6
18	L	November 16, 1974	1–2	Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75)	10–2–6
19	T	November 20, 1974	3–3	Montreal Canadiens (1974–75)	10–2–7
20	T	November 23, 1974	0–0	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75)	10–2–8
21	W	November 24, 1974	4–1	@ Detroit Red Wings (1974–75)	11–2–8
22	T	November 27, 1974	3–3	New York Islanders (1974–75)	11–2–9
23	W	November 30, 1974	2–0	Boston Bruins (1974–75)	12–2–9
24	W	December 4, 1974	4–1	Minnesota North Stars (1974–75)	13–2–9
25	W	December 7, 1974	6–2	Atlanta Flames (1974–75)	14–2–9
26	W	December 11, 1974	4–1	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75)	15–2–9
27	L	December 12, 1974	1–8	@ Boston Bruins (1974–75)	15–3–9
28	L	December 14, 1974	0–3	@ New York Islanders (1974–75)	15–4–9
29	T	December 15, 1974	3–3	@ New York Rangers (1974–75)	15–4–10
30	W	December 18, 1974	6–0	@ Kansas City Scouts (1974–75)	16–4–10
31	W	December 19, 1974	4–1	Washington Capitals (1974–75)	17–4–10
32	T	December 21, 1974	2–2	Montreal Canadiens (1974–75)	17–4–11
33	W	December 26, 1974	5–1	Vancouver Canucks (1974–75)	18–4–11
34	L	December 28, 1974	2–3	California Golden Seals (1974–75)	18–5–11
35	W	December 30, 1974	3–2	@ Detroit Red Wings (1974–75)	19–5–11
36	W	December 31, 1974	3–1	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75)	20–5–11
37	L	January 2, 1975	2–5	Boston Bruins (1974–75)	20–6–11
38	T	January 4, 1975	2–2	Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75)	20–6–12
39	W	January 8, 1975	4–2	@ Minnesota North Stars (1974–75)	21–6–12
40	W	January 9, 1975	5–2	@ Buffalo Sabres (1974–75)	22–6–12
41	W	January 11, 1975	7–5	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75)	23–6–12
42	W	January 14, 1975	6–2	@ Washington Capitals (1974–75)	24–6–12
43	W	January 16, 1975	4–1	@ Boston Bruins (1974–75)	25–6–12
44	L	January 17, 1975	0–5	@ Atlanta Flames (1974–75)	25–7–12
45	W	January 19, 1975	6–3	@ Montreal Canadiens (1974–75)	26–7–12
46	W	January 23, 1975	8–0	Toronto Maple Leafs (1974–75)	27–7–12
47	T	January 25, 1975	5–5	@ New York Islanders (1974–75)	27–7–13
48	L	January 26, 1975	2–3	@ New York Rangers (1974–75)	27–8–13
49	W	January 28, 1975	5–2	New York Rangers (1974–75)	28–8–13
50	W	January 30, 1975	6–4	Washington Capitals (1974–75)	29–8–13
51	L	February 1, 1975	3–5	Montreal Canadiens (1974–75)	29–9–13
52	L	February 5, 1975	2–3	Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75)	29–10–13
53	L	February 7, 1975	1–3	@ Atlanta Flames (1974–75)	29–11–13
54	W	February 9, 1975	2–1	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75)	30–11–13
55	T	February 12, 1975	2–2	Atlanta Flames (1974–75)	30–11–14
56	W	February 15, 1975	8–2	Detroit Red Wings (1974–75)	31–11–14
57	W	February 18, 1975	6–1	@ Washington Capitals (1974–75)	32–11–14
58	T	February 19, 1975	2–2	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75)	32–11–15
59	W	February 22, 1975	6–0	Boston Bruins (1974–75)	33–11–15
60	T	February 23, 1975	2–2	@ California Golden Seals (1974–75)	33–11–16
61	W	February 26, 1975	2–1	@ Detroit Red Wings (1974–75)	34–11–16
62	L	February 27, 1975	0–5	@ Buffalo Sabres (1974–75)	34–12–16
63	W	March 1, 1975	7–4	Minnesota North Stars (1974–75)	35–12–16
64	W	March 4, 1975	7–4	Kansas City Scouts (1974–75)	36–12–16
65	T	March 6, 1975	2–2	New York Islanders (1974–75)	36–12–17
66	L	March 8, 1975	1–6	Chicago Black Hawks (1974–75)	36–13–17
67	T	March 11, 1975	2–2	Buffalo Sabres (1974–75)	36–13–18
68	T	March 13, 1975	5–5	Detroit Red Wings (1974–75)	36–13–19
69	L	March 15, 1975	0–3	@ Montreal Canadiens (1974–75)	36–14–19
70	L	March 16, 1975	0–3	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1974–75)	36–15–19
71	W	March 18, 1975	5–3	@ Minnesota North Stars (1974–75)	37–15–19
72	W	March 20, 1975	3–2	St. Louis Blues (1974–75)	38–15–19
73	W	March 22, 1975	4–0	Pittsburgh Penguins (1974–75)	39–15–19
74	W	March 26, 1975	5–1	Washington Capitals (1974–75)	40–15–19
75	L	March 28, 1975	2–4	@ Vancouver Canucks (1974–75)	40–16–19
76	T	March 29, 1975	3–3	Vancouver Canucks (1974–75)	40–16–20
77	L	April 1, 1975	1–3	@ Kansas City Scouts (1974–75)	40–17–20
78	W	April 2, 1975	5–2	@ St. Louis Blues (1974–75)	41–17–20
79	W	April 5, 1975	5–3	California Golden Seals (1974–75)	42–17–20
80	T	April 6, 1975	1–1	@ California Golden Seals (1974–75)	42–17–21

Playoffs

• Maple Leafs 2 at Kings 3 (OT)
• Kings 2 at Maple Leafs 3 (OT)
• Maple Leafs 2 at Kings 1

Awards and records

Jack Adams Award - Bob Pulford, Coach

All-NHL 2nd team - Rogie Vachon, Goalie

Draft picks

• 210th pick - Dave Taylor, RW

See also

• 1974–75 NHL season