LA Kings fire coach Jim Hiller and name D.J. Smith as the interim replacement | National Sports

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Kings haven’t been the same team this season following their fourth straight first-round playoff exit, and general manager Ken Holland decided a coaching shakeup was the last chance to snap this team out of its funk.

The Kings fired coach Jim Hiller on Sunday after losing five of their past six games and falling out of playoff position. D.J. Smith was named the interim replacement for the rest of the season in the first coaching change by Holland, who kept Hiller behind the bench when he took over the front office last May.

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