The LA Kings have been on quite a roller coaster ride this season, 2024-25. Sometimes the team really connects with their fans, but other times, they face some criticism for how they play. In his first full season as head coach, Jim Hiller led the Kings to a solid 48-25-9 record, racking up 105 points and landing them in second place in the Pacific Division. They really stood out at home with a 31-6-4 record, which set a new franchise record for home wins.

So, there’s been some criticism aimed at the team for blowing a 2-0 lead in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers. Right now, it looks like the team in orange and blue is ahead in the series, 3-2. As we gear up for Game 6, there’s a lot on the line for the Kings. Matt Murley’s criticism has been a hot topic, and his co-host Paul Bissonnette stepped in to address it. So, what did Biz Nasty say?

The NHL on TNT analyst dropped an update on X, saying, “Also on today’s Game Notes at 12:30pm EST on the Spittin Chiclets’ YouTube channel. I will be calling out Matt Murley for this horrendous take on the LA Kings in which he walked back 3 separate times over the last 6 weeks. THE LA KINGS ARE NOT A FRAUD SQUAD. The coaching has fucked the Kings this series, not its players. That lack of acknowledgment from Murls in this topic is a disgrace. I will defend the Kings players honor on today’s show.”

Basically, Biz Nasty said that the team’s issues weren’t about how the players were performing but more about the coaching choices, especially the defensive strategies that head coach Jim Hiller was using. Since last year’s management dismissed Todd McLellan, Hiller has become the team’s coach. This is his first full season with the Kings. With Hiller at the helm, the Kings first focused on a defense-first strategy, making use of a 1-3-1 neutral zone trap system. So, while this strategy really toughened up their defense, they later moved to a 1-2-2 system, giving the forwards more freedom for the offense.

So, last season, the Kings faced off against the Oilers in Round 1 and ended up losing the series 4-1. This year, even though they’re putting up a solid fight, it seems like they’re still having a tough time, especially after starting off strong.

A roller coaster ride for the LA Kings

The LA Kings’ journey in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs has been quite the ride, going back and forth over five games with the Edmonton Oilers, as the momentum has really shifted between the two teams. The Kings kicked off the series with two impressive wins at home. In Game 1, they squeaked by the Oilers with a close 6-5 score, and then in Game 2, they really turned it up with a solid 6-2 victory, showing off their scoring skills and grabbing a 2-0 lead in the series.

The series moved to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4, and that’s where the Oilers really turned things around. In Game 3, they pulled off a 7-4 win, and then in Game 4, Leon Draisaitl came through in overtime, scoring to clinch a 4-3 victory for the Oilers, which tied the series at 2-2. Back in Los Angeles for Game 5, the Oilers kept their momentum going strong.

Mattias Janmark netted the go-ahead goal in the third period, helping Edmonton secure a 3-1 win and take a 3-2 lead in the series. Even though Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper made an impressive 43 saves, the Oilers’ offensive pressure really made the difference. With all the pressure on the Kings right now, we’ll just have to wait and see if they can turn things around and put an end to the Oilers’ pursuit.