After being named interim head coach on Sunday, D.J. Smith will have to come out of the bullpen and throw heat as the Kings face the NHL’s heaviest hitter, the Colorado Avalanche, on Monday. The Avs have more than twice as many regulation wins, 36, as the Kings, 15, and their league-leading +75 goal differential exceeds the Kings’ -22 by nearly 100 goals. Seven of the top 10 plus-minus ratings belong to Colorado skaters. Their points percentage is 55 ticks higher than any other team’s, making them a veritable lock for the Presidents’ Trophy. The Kings, on the other hand, just sacked their head coach and are in peril of missing the...
