Jonathan Quick robs Jamie Langenbrunner of St. Louis in a game back on March 22nd. Quick's play this year is deserving of the Vezina Trophy.

League leading 10 shutouts. A minuscule goals against average of 1.89. A .931 save percentage. 35 wins. These are just a few of the reasons that Jonathan Quick will find himself a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League’s best goaltender. While the yearly improvement and mere nomination for the Vezina might seem like enough of an accomplishment for many, I’d argue that if he doesn’t win it, it’s a flat out mockery of the award itself.

Most of the buzz in mainstream hockey media regarding the Vezina Trophy has been around New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lunqvist. To be sure, Lundqvist has had an outstanding season, but the numbers – and the intangibles don’t favor him in any real sense. Lundqvist has played 6 less games than Quick, has two fewer shutouts and only 3 more wins. His save percentage is identical. He plays for a team with a defense first system. Why then is he being touted as a slam dunk for the award? His advantage isn’t statistical, in fact it doesn’t relate to performance on the ice in any way. Lundqvist’s biggest advantage over Quick is geographic in nature – he plays in the East, where the majority of the hockey media’s focus lies. He’s the rockstar of NHL goalies in almost every sense of the word. Female fans swoon over his charming looks and his style of dress. He’s also one of the most marketed and well liked players in the entire league, playing in a market like New York where the Rangers are a big deal. Quick, on the other hand, plays in a city that is a huge media market but where hockey goes unnoticed by many, and for a team that gets very little major media coverage unless of course, something is going wrong. Outside Kings’ fans and fans of rival teams, the soft spoken, humble Connecticut kid is largely unknown.

If we’re talking total body of work, then it’s fair to consider that Hank has been near the pinnacle of NHL goaltending for at least the past five seasons. But the award is supposed to be based solely on this season’s play, not the composite of a career. Here’s the clincher for me: The Kings have, for the majority of this season, been dead last in scoring. As of today, only the Minnesota Wild have scored fewer goals per game on average. No starting goalie in the entire National Hockey League has faced more pressure on a nightly basis than Quick, and he has excelled under that pressure. Ten times this season, Quick has allowed one goal or less in games and lost because he got no goal support from his team. Ten times! Quick has allowed one goal or less a jaw dropping total of 28 games this season. Want to know how many times Lundqvist has achieved the same feat? Half of Quick’s total – 14. The stat that’s least meaningful in the Vezina conversation is wins, but it is unfortunately one that holds unfair value for the voters. Quick’s 35 wins (could be 37 by season’s end) with the lack of goal support he’s had is still an impressive feat, but consider this: If his Kings teammates had managed to provide him with a paltry .25 increase in goals per game prior to the trade deadline, Quick would have a MINIMUM of 45 wins right now and would likely be considered a slam dunk for the Vezina, East Coast bias or not. I wrote at Crimespree Hockey back in January that Quick is the true MVP of the National Hockey League. I believe this still holds true. While he won’t win the Hart, traditionally skewed toward high scoring forwards, he fits the “Player adjudged to be most valuable to his team” better than any other guy in the league and should be a top 5 vote getter.

Right now, the Kings are on the verge of making their third straight playoff berth, and potentially winning the Pacific Division. Without the play of Quick, the Kings would be amongst the Columbuses, Edmontons and Montreals of the world, looking for a lottery pick in the June draft. Instead, they’re a team that is poised to do some serious damage in the Stanley Cup playoffs, now that they’ve found their scoring touch. They’re a team nobody wants to play against, and in large part, that is because of Quick.

In the past two days, two major media outlets, NHL.com’s Dave Lozo and Rory Boylen of The Hockey News have made cases for Quick as the Vezina winner. Few else in the mainstream media have mentioned him as anything but a possible nominee. Fortunately, the voting isn’t done by the Professional Hockey Writers Association; it’s done by the league’s 30 General Managers, whom one would hope have a better handle on player performance than the media does. Still, teams in the East have seen Quick at most twice this season, whereas depending on division, they’ve seen Lundqvist four or six times.

Pekka Rinne’s gaudy win total will turn a lot of heads. Marc-Andre Fleury plays for perhaps the most marketed team in the league. Mike Smith plays for the league owned Coyotes and like Quick and St. Louis’ Brian Elliot, has had a 3 game plus shutout streak this season. All, including of course Lunqvist, have had fantastic seasons and deserve to be in the Vezina conversation. Hopefully though, the General Managers voting on it will look at the whole story, the intangibles as well as the obvious. I’d challenge anybody to show me another starting goalie in the league who’s had a better season than Jonathan Quick.

If Quick doesn’t win this season’s Vezina Trophy, it should go down in the annals of hockey history as a travesty. Right here, right now, Jonathan Quick is the best goaltender in hockey.

GO KINGS!

-JS

Jonathan Quick and Trevor Lewis celebrate the Kings 3-2 shootout victory in Chicago Sunday night.

After a dismal collapse in Detroit Friday night that could’ve easily sunk the Kings’ season once and for all, the Kings headed into Chicago for a nationally televised matchup with the Blackhawks. This one was key to the Kings playoff hopes – not that any of the remaining games aren’t. Would they bounce back from demoralizing defeat, or would they fold their tents and being positioning themselves for tee times in mid April?

Jonathan Quick stopped 35 shots (36 if you count the blown call on Chicago’s second goal – I’ll get to that later) and all six Chicago players in the shootout to lead the Kings to a 3-2 victory, salvaging the road trip.

The Kings only waited 1:17 to score in the opening period, when a turnover deep in the Kings’ end after a series of fantastic saves by Quick led to a 4 on 1 for the Kings, which saw Dustin Brown feed Justin Williams, who set up his trailer Slava Voynov for his 5th goal of the season. The Kings had several other good chances to extend their lead in the first, but Ray Emery was good in the Chicago net and the Kings couldn’t finish otherwise, the first period ended with the Kings leading 1-0.

The second period saw the Blackhawks seize momentum, eventually tying the game on a bad line change by the Kings, which saw both Matt Greene and Drew Doughty get caught out of position leading to an odd man rush for Chicago. Patrick Sharp took a feed from Viktor Stalberg, and Drew Doughty, racing back into the play and running into Quick, made a nice play batting Sharp’s shot out of mid air behind his goaltender (whom he’d knocked out of position). With Doughty lying between Quick and the play, Markus Kruger grabbed the rebound and put it into an open net to tie the game at 1. Late in the period, the King-Carter-Richards line had a good shift in the Hawks’ end, with Richards doing much of the heavy lifting behind the net allowing Dwight King to feed a wide open Carter in the slot, who fired a wobbling puck five hole past Emery to give the Kings a 2-1 lead.

The Kings didn’t have a particularly strong 3rd period aside from Quick, and at 7:36, Marian Hossa tried a jam play on Quick, who made the initial save and covered up with his glove. Patrick Kane then punched the puck out from underneath Quick’s glove and into the net. The Kings and coach Daryl Sutter were irate, and they had a right to be. Quick had the puck covered and the whistle should’ve been blown. The discussion between officials was brief and the goal was allowed to stand, a terrible, terrible call in an NHL that has seen far too many bad calls (I could go on my rant about lack of accountability for on and off ice officials but I’ll spare my readers this time). Officiating blunder as it was, the game was tied at 2. Neither team was able to score in the remainder of regulation time, or the five minute overtime period – Jeff Carter had a glorious chance with time winding down but was unable to corral a bouncing puck and fired it just through the goal mouth. This brought the Kings to a key juncture : good teams overcome obstacles – including bad officiating – to win games. When every point counts, excuses are not valid.

There were no excuses for Jonathan Quick tonight. He denied all six Chicago shooters. Ray Emery was good at the other end, but was bested by Mike Richards in round 6 pulling up to almost a complete stop, freezing Emery and firing a bullet high glove side into the net. We can all only hope that winner will inspire a little confidence in Richards’ game. He was dismal in Detroit Friday night and has been invisible all too often lately. Richards contributing as a catalyst as he was early in the season would help the Kings’ playoff push greatly.

Jeff Carter now has 4 goals in 8 games as a King. One more goal and he will have scored as many in his short tenure with the Kings as Dustin Penner has all season. The ladies may like Penner, but I can’t wait to see him get out of town in July.

On Drew Doughty. I love the kid, but he’s definitely struggling right now. He was better in Chicago than he was in Detroit, but as THE guy here, he needs to be better for the Kings right now. I don’t know if he needs coaching help, if he’s being overcoached, if he needs a shrink or a new girlfriend, but the Kings cannot be the best they can be without Doughty playing to his potential. I believe Doughty can be better than his Norris nominee sophomore season, he’s young and he will make mistakes along the way for sure, but the sooner he finds his game, the better.

I can’t say enough about how impressed I am with Dwight King. In 7 games last season, he gave no indication he could ever be an NHL regular. Right now he looks like a completely different player. He wins board battles and goes to the net on every shift and he’s got a little finishing touch as well. He has helped his linemates by doing a lot of heavy lifting down low. I have a feeling King is here to stay, and he will look very good at LW3 next season – he’s better suited for bottom 6 play due to his lack of speed and hopefully Simon Gagne will return and be effective at LW2 alongside Richards and Carter.

Jonathan Quick remains the teams MVP. Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted after the game that he thinks Quick is the MVP of the Western Conference, and I can’t disagree with that. Strong play from Quick down the stretch with a little scoring help is a good prescription for a playoff berth for the Kings.

At the end of business tonight, the Kings are in 9th, tied with Colorado and Calgary in points, but Calgary wins the tiebreak on Regulation and Overtime Wins at present. The Kings have one more game against Calgary this season, and will need some help from Flames opponents down the stretch. The Kings can get help Monday from Nashville against Phoenix, and from hated rival Anaheim against Colorado. It’s amazing that despite the team’s struggles, the Kings remain in the playoff race, and are only five points off the division lead. Dallas, a collection of mostly misfit players, has to fall off at some point, don’t they?

Imagine for a second, the Kings manage to play outstanding hockey their last 13 games and win the Pacific, earning the 3rd seed and gaining a first round matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Kings went 3-1 against Chicago and Quick gave up a paltry 4 goals in 4 games, with two shutouts. As much as a LOT of things would have to go right between now and April 9th for it to happen, I’d sure like our first round chances there.

Up next, a chance for a little redemption against Detroit at home on Tuesday. Another crucial game.

GO KINGS!

-JS

Columbus Jack Johnson collides with the Kings' Jeff Carter during action Thursday night. The two players were traded for each other back on February 23rd. (AP)

Some games are a stark reminder that no matter how well a team has been playing of late, poor preparation and lack of effort and execution is going to hurt you, even against the team with the fewest points in the entire National Hockey League. Tonight in Columbus, the Kings had one of those games.

The Kings played largely uninspired for the majority of tonight’s 60 minute contest, and, they got the result they deserved losing 3-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, currently the NHL’s worst team. It was absolutely brutal to watch. Uncharacteristically sloppy defensive play on all three goals against, and offensive ineptitude on par with the majority of this season. I don’t even know where to start, so I’ll keep it brief…

In my mind, the turning point of the game happened in the second period. Dustin Penner had a glorious scoring chance, with the entire right side of the net wide open. Just a simple backhand-forehand tap to tie the game at 2. Easy right? Nope. Penner hit the side of the net, with all day to bury that puck. Shortly thereafter, another defensive breakdown led to Mark Letestu’s second goal of the night and a 3-1 lead for Columbus. Game, set, match. The way the Kings’ responded to that, they might as well have left the arena at that point and gotten on their flight to Detroit. There was little or no passion in the Kings’ game after that. With an opportunity to climb into 7th in the West in front of them, the Kings play seemed like a “Nah, maybe next time”.

Give Columbus some credit, they played a smart hockey game tonight, but the Kings’ stinker of an effort (I use the word effort very begrudgingly here) made it look like they were playing Detroit. Two guys in the lineup had good nights – Jonathan Bernier, who played well but got hung out to dry by defensive mistakes; and Anze Kopitar, who scored the Kings’ lone goal shorthanded in the first period but got little help. Some credit Penner with a good game, I’m sorry but I don’t. Pancake boy essentially blew two GIMME scoring chances tonight, including the aforementioned gaffe in the second period. That doesn’t constitute a good game to me. If he finishes even ONE of those, I’d consider saying he had a good game. Carter, for all the positive impact he’s had, was a ghost tonight. Meanwhile, who got the game winning goal for Columbus? Jack Johnson. Which leads me to to my next topic…

Warning: This is a bit of a rant, but I had to get this off my chest. People, Jack Johnson is no longer a King. Hasn’t been one since February 23rd. I will never understand the level of emotional attachment some fans have to specific players. I’m a fan of the team. Always will be, which to me means I will root for the group of players on the ice in Kings’ jerseys to win, without fail. Once you’re no longer a King, I don’t give a shit anymore. I was a big fan of Wayne Simmonds, but he’s no longer a King. Do I want him to do well? Sure, but if he doesn’t, it’s no skin off my back. I liked Jack Johnson as a King but he was traded for a player whose impact on the team has overall been quite positive so far. It was nice knowing you, Jack. I hope he does well,  just not against us (Let’s be clear, he capitalized on a lucky bounce tonight). The reaction I saw from fans on twitter tonight was something to that was more like something from the pages of Tiger Beat. Scary, obsessive fangirling. The type of thing that makes me feel like I’m watching Law & Order – Special Victims Unit, and I’m picturing them tracking IP addresses while Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T and Richard Belzer are knocking on their doors for questioning. I kind of wish someone could explain it to me rationally, just so I can understand what spawns it. Seems like normal behavior for teenage girls, not for adults. My best attempt at being poetic here is to say: Jack is gone, let’s all move on. Once again, I digress…

Anyhow, as nauseating as tonight’s game was, the door remains open. Colorado lost 4-2 in Nashville, and San Jose and Phoenix both lost as well -although they both earned the dreaded shootout loser point. A regulation or OT win Friday would propel the Kings into 7th, ahead of San Jose and Phoenix (They’d be tied with PHX in points but win all 3 tiebreakers – Games Played, Regulation or Overtime Wins, and Head to Head Points). So, on to tomorrow…

Detroit has flat out embarrassed the Kings in both meetings this season. Even with key players out to injury, Detroit is one hell of a hockey team. As much as it can be said that the Kings played down to the level of their competition in Columbus, they will have to play UP to Detroit’s level of play Friday. It is a test of character for the Kings: to be embarrassed, humiliated enough from tonight’s loss to fire them up for one of their best games of the season. It will take that to beat Detroit. This is a pivotal point for the Kings season. Either they respond to tonight’s craptastic performance and bounce back, or they lay down and die.

Let’s hope they pass the test…

GO KINGS!

-JS

Kings players celebrate Trevor Lewis' 3rd period goal in Nashville, the eventual game winner in a 5-4 Kings victory (Getty Images)

Many times during the 2011-12 campaign, Jonathan Quick has bailed the Kings out on nights where they were unable to produce offensively. Tuesday night in Nashville, the Kings returned the favor. In what was an uncharacteristic off game for both Quick and Predators goalie Pekka Rinne – believed to be two of three likely Vezina Trophy finalists, the Kings were 5-4 victors, continuing to showcase their revitalized scoring. For those of us accustomed to watching the Kings tightly contested defensive battles the past few seasons, it was a different kind of intense.

Justin Williams potted the Kings first two goals in the first period, the first on a costly mistake by Rinne, who failed to track the puck and ended up pushing it into his own net. After Patric Hornqvist tied it for Nashville after a blocked shot came right to his wheelhouse in the slot, Williams scored again just 12 seconds later to give the Kings a 2-1 lead, batting a rebound of his own initial shot past Rinne, who had uncharacteristically gone into a two pad stack instead on his normal reactive butterfly.

Nashville would get even again on a Martin Erat laser from outside the faceoff dot, an area Quick has rarely allowed goals from this season. Erat’s goal was labeled as soft by more than a few, but it was a more difficult save than most realized – there were at least 3 bodies between Erat and Quick when the shot was released – defender Drew Doughty, Preds’ center Mike Fisher and defenseman Rob Scuderi who was defending him. The shot appeared to knuckle a bit, though it wasn’t tipped, and it landed just underneath the crossbar – not what I, as a goaltender myself, would consider an easy save, nor a routine one. This is where perspective becomes important. Quick has had a phenomenal season and as a result, many of us as fans expect miracles game in and game out. Erat’s shot, while again not routine, is one Quick normally stops, thus the “softy” label. The Kings got the lead back at 3-2 when Jordan Nolan set up Drew Doughty perfectly for a one timer that beat Rinne with traffic in front. The play occured on one of many good shifts for the Kings’ fourth line tonight. Alas, before the end of the period the Predators would strike again, this time on a shot from Sergei Kostitsyn from virtually the same location as Erat’s, this one without traffic. Quick had a clean look at the shot but simply misjudged his position in front of the net, giving up space on the long side – this was one, without a doubt was a “softy”.

With two HUGE points on the line, the Kings came out like gangbusters in the third period, taking a 4-3 lead on Matt Greene’s 4th goal of the season, a blast from the point with Jaret Stoll – whose play of late has been huge – crashing the net hard. Just a minute and forty five seconds later, the Kings’ struck again when Trevor Lewis backhanded the rebound of Anze Kopitar’s backhand attempt past a sprawled Rinne to extend the lead to 5-3. Lewis’ tally ended Rinne’s night as Nashville coach Barry Trotz pulled him in favor of Anders Lindback. The Preds would make it interesting though, as Willie Mitchell fell in his own zone and was unable to pokecheck the puck away from Patric Hornqvist, who came in alone on Quick. Quick sucessfully pokechecked the puck from Hornqvist’s stick, but Hornqvist angled his left skate blade and propelled the bouncing puck into the net. After review, the NHL’s War Room in Toronto deemed it not to be a distinct kicking motion and the goal stood. In tonight’s case it was inconsequential, but I disagree with the call. Hornqvist angles his skate in too close a proximity to the net to regain control with his stick. What other purpose did it serve other than to deliberately direct the puck past Quick? If you’ll recall back on November 28th, 2011; Dustin Brown did virtually the same thing in the Kings’ 2-0 victory over San Jose and it was ruled a distinct kicking motion. As usual, the War Room doesn’t know it’s ass from a hole in the ground. I could count on one hand, the number of calls I’ve seen them get right in the last 3 seasons. I’ve lost track of the calls they’ve botched. What purpose does the War Room actually serve if it can’t get a relatively simple call right? They can’t decide what is and isn’t a high stick when TV replay shows it to be quite obvious, and their opinion of what is or isn’t a “distinct kicking motion” changes almost daily. My solution in this case? Change the rule – if the puck goes off an attacking player’s skate – kicking motion or not, no goal. The only other solution to the problem is to get rid of the “distinct kicking motion” altogether and let players do their best Pele around the net – an idea that could potentially be very dangerous. Without a rule change, it’s open to the interpretation of the geniuses in the war room, which seems to be rather…let’s just say fickle. It’s a problem the league needs to address. I digress.

5-4 was as close as Nashville would get. The victory was the Kings’ 3rd straight (first time since November 2011) and 4th in 5 games. This team is getting hot at precisely the right time. Kings have now scored 18 goals in 5 games since trading for Jeff Carter – 3.6 goals per game, while only allowing 8 goals during that stretch a paltry 1.6 per game. The Kings again continued their recent trend of players going to the net to generate scoring chances. The results are hard to argue with. Teams now have to defend two solid lines when they face the Kings, and it’s making their job much more difficult.

As for Quick, while it wasn’t his best game, he does deserve credit for having a strong 3rd period, and keeping Nashville off the board while they pressed relentlessly trying to tie the game in the final 5 minutes. Daryl Sutter chose to go with his number one guy against a team he’d never beaten, even with the luxury of a backup goalie with a stellar record against said team. There were times, particularly after the Kostitsyn goal where it would’ve been fair to wonder if Quick’s ohfer against the Preds was weighing on his mind perhaps. Instead he displayed some moxie by battling back and making stops at the most critical juncture of the game. I will say, while I understand right now that every game, every point is critical and I don’t fault Sutter for wanting to ride Quick, some rest would benefit him right now. While I’d argue that anyone who thinks Jonathan Bernier is even close to as good as Quick  is delusional, and the probability of him turning out to be as good as Quick, much less better, is extremely low; he can spell Quick in small stretches. With 9 of the Kings remaining 16 games on the road and all indications pointing to a fight to the bitter end for the playoffs, it would be wise to give Bernier at least 3 starts as there are 3 back to back situations upcoming, preferably 4-5 starts. Let Bernier have the Columbus’, the Edmontons and the Minnesotas of the world down the stretch, and let him play the Kings’ final game against Nashville at home on March 17th. Quick has been the Kings’ best player all season, and in order to get to the ultimate goal – the Stanley Cup – they will need him to be at his best, which means he needs to be rested. It would be a shame for the Kings not to utilize Bernier situationally down the stretch after refusing to trade him at the deadline.

Want some more good news? Phoenix has lost 4 in a row and they’re in a free fall, now sitting just a point ahead of the Kings. San Jose and the Kings are even in point, but the Sharks have only won 2 of their last 11 and were lucky to set a single point in a shootout loss to Edmonton Tuesday night, they’re fading fast. The bad news? Colorado and Calgary continue to nip at the Kings’ heels; and Dallas, who is somehow in first in the Pacific division with a mostly misfit group of players, continues to be on a roll. But, they’re only 3 points up on the Kings at present. If the Kings beat Columbus, Dallas beats San Jose and Phoenix loses to Minnesota, the Kings will leapfrog the Sharks and Coyotes in the standings and remain in striking distance of Dallas. Despite the Kings wasting an awful lot of opportunities this season, the Pacific Division title is within reach. The Kings are playing great hockey at the best possible time, and if they’re able to keep it up, they can be a dangerous team in the postseason.

Up next: our old buddy Jack Johnson and the suddenly red hot Blue Jackets, winners of 3 straight on Thursday. One game at a time.

GO KINGS!

-JS

Jeff Carter celebrates the first of his two goals against Anaheim March 3rd in LA. Carter has had an immediate impact on the Kings' once struggling offense. (AP)

(NOTE: I wrote this article for Crimespree Hockey earlier, cross posting it here)

When the Los Angeles Kings acquired Jeff Carter from Columbus for defenseman Jack Johnson and a conditional first round pick, reaction among Kings’ fans was split. Carter’s proven scoring pedigree was something the Kings’ desperately needed, but Johnson was a Kings’ fan favorite who had just signed a 7 year contract extension and was having his best season as a pro thus far. I discussed my feelings about the tradeHERE last week, calling it a win for both teams.

Last night Carter played his 4th game as a King, scoring his first two goals as a Los Angelino in a 4-2 win over division rival Anaheim, a huge contest for playoff implications. Last year’s big acquisition, Dustin Penner has yet to have a multi goal game in over a calendar year with the club. While these may have been his first points with the team, Carter’s impact on the Kings has been immediate. His speed and nose for the net have helped the team generate more quality scoring chances – on fewer total shots. In the pre-Carter era, it was common occurrence for the Kings to post 30+ shots in a game and perhaps score once, most of those shots coming from perimeter areas where opposing goaltenders have an easy time turning them away. In the last two games, the Kings have scored 4 goals on 16 and 19 shots respectivel. Carter’s arrival has seen the Kings’ forwards consistently establishing net presence, and getting more chances in between the faceoff dots. It’s opened up the ice for the Kings’ top line of Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams as well, since opponents not have to not only worry about them, but also the King-Richards-Carter line, which has in a lot of cases been more dangerous than the top unit over the last four games.

The biggest change, however, is in goals per game. Since Carter joined the team, the Kings have scored 13 goals in 4 games, 3.25 goals a game. On February 23 when the trade occurred, the Kings were averaging 2.09 goals a game, good for dead last in the entire National Hockey league. In just four games, the Kings have moved, albeit only one spot, past Minnesota into 29th. It’s a small improvement on the season average, but an improvement nonetheless. Had the Kings averaged over 3 goals a game all season long, they’d likely be chasing the Presidents trophy right now rather than pushing for a mere playoff spot.

The Kings remaining schedule is, for the most part, absolutely brutal. They have only 3 games against definite non playoff teams (Columbus, Edmonton and Minnesota), and they play Detroit and Nashville, two red hot teams, twice. The Kings’ strength all year has been the goaltending of Jonathan Quick and the team’s stifling defense. In the games since the Carter trade, though it would be fair to say the sample size is small yet, the Kings look like a dangerous team on offense consistently for the first time all season. With the Kings just a point out of 8th at present (8th place Dallas plays 11th place Calgary in a short while here) and a mere 3 points out of first place in the Pacific Division, their rejuvenated offense couldn’t have come at a better time.

While it’s too early to declare a winner in the Carter/Johnson trade, Carter’s immediate impact on the LA Kings is undeniable.

It’s a great song by Tom Petty. It’s not so great, however, watching it happen to the Kings’ season. At this point, I’m not going to pretend to know what the solution is. We’ve got fans warring with other fans over who’s to blame (I’m not completely innocent of this either). Nothing is the Kings’ universe right now seems galvanized, and the team is playing it’s absolute worst hockey at a critical time.

I could talk until I’m blue in the face about what needs to happen. I’ve done it at length in previous posts. One thing that’s been painfully apparent over the last 5 periods of Kings’ hockey that bears mentioning: This team doesn’t appear to meet even the bare minimum requirement for heart right now. They’ve been through a coaching change, and the results over the long term are now debatable. For the last 3 seasons, I’ve been on board as believing this team was a tight knit one, a team that goes to battle for one another, willing to sacrifice life and limb for the ultimate goal. Right now, I’m feeling like I might’ve been a little stupid for buying that. It’s a mess right now. There are so many negatives right now, it’s hard to know where to start. I don’t think it’s a matter of the guys not knowing what needs to be done, it just isn’t happening. Uncharacteristic defensive mistakes have left team MVP Jon Quick out to dry his last 4 periods (it would be fair to mention some questionable officiating in Phoenix – who by the way, is still owned by the NHL just for the record, but those are obstacles any great team should overcome). And, as has been the case most of the season, the team can’t score a big goal when it’s needed most.

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: Look at games where the Kings score 3 or more goals, and you’ll notice net presence, guys going into the hard areas of the ice to make goals happen and to help make valuable time and space for skilled players to do what they do best. Look at games where the Kings score 2 or less, and that same willingness to go to the net, to take a beating to make a play is absent. It’s a simple observation. Internal combustion engines can’t run without fuel, and the Kings can’t score consistently without some effort to get into those difficult, prime scoring areas of the ice and without net presence. The guys in that locker room know it, and it’s still not happening.

You can speculate all you want from there. Is there a lack of chemistry in the locker room? Is the talent that guys in the lineup have previously shown all an illusion meant to fool the fans and followers of the team into thinking we were better than this? Why do the players actions in critical moments right now scream “I give up” or “I just don’t care”? It appears the wheels are coming off, fast.

Again, I don’t claim to know the exact nature of the problem, but I don’t believe it will go away if ignored. I’m a man of science, and I’m skeptical of anything until presented with strong supporting evidence. Right now, that evidence screams to an early grave for this team. Missing the postseason means a major housecleaning is coming in all likelihood. As much as it would pain me to see a lot of the guys on this team shipped out, there isn’t much of an argument against it right now based on this team’s play. Something clearly isn’t working. During the home stretch, when you’d predict the team should be playing it’s best hockey, it’s playing it’s worst. Change is imminent, and it may be big change. That’s not a comfortable idea. Who wants to see any of our guys raise the Cup elsewhere? Not many, I’d suspect, at least among Kings fans.

So, while it all looks gloomy at the present, I will bring to light a few positives that remain. The Kings are still in a playoff spot tonight. Tomorrow night Calgary, one point back of them, plays in Phoenix; and Dallas, two points back, plays in Chicago. Phoenix remains the NHL’s pet team and they will continue to do their best to make the team attractive to potential buyers. While I hate the idea of Phoenix having a five point advantage over the Kings, it’s better than falling potentially into 10th. Chicago beating Dallas, obviously also helps. San Jose has played awful lately, and at 36 goals against in 9 games, their defense and goaltending is about as airtight as a screen door. As bad as things are right now, the division is still up for grabs.

With 3 days before Chicago invades Staples Center on Saturday; I’d be surprised not to see some new faces in the Kings’ lineup by then. Despite the gloomy outlook, there remains time to right the ship. But it will take change, and above all, it will take heart.

The Kings’ still have time to prove my preseason hypothesis correct. Here’s to hoping next time I make a Tom Petty reference, it’ll be “I Won’t Back Down” instead of “Free Fallin”.

GO KINGS!

-JS

A little less than 48 hours ago, I wrote at length about why I think Dean Lombardi NEEDS to go all-in for Rick Nash. Since then, it looks as if Lombardi lacks the balls to go big. There’s a lot yet to be resolved but when you’re being outbid by teams who have a lot less of what Columbus’ primary need is, it looks like ol’ Deano is trying to get by on lowballing. Lest I mention, it’s never worked before in Dean’s case? While that could all change (and I hope it does), it might be prudent to look at what other help is potentially available in the next 10 days.

James Van Riemsdyk – LW, Philadelphia

Flyers' LW James Van Riemsdyk may be a target of the Kings.

Van Riemsdyk is a big bodied LW with decent speed and good hands. So far he’s yet to top 21 goals, but he’s only 22 years old with a lot of upside. The biggest concerns about him are twofold: He’s yet to find consistency in his game, and he’s returning from a concussion in the coming days. Based on what we’ve seen in LA of players having difficulty returning to form after concussions (think Randy Jones in 09-10, Drew Doughty in 2010-11 and Mike Richards this season.), this could be a risky move. The chatter is that the Kings and Flyers have discussed a Van Riemsdyk for Jack Johnson deal. Considering that Johnson, at two years older, is closer to his development peak than Van Riemsdyk is, this may seem like an overpayment. One Flyers’ fan I spoke with about the potential deal thought Philadelphia would have to include a pick in the deal. If healthy, Van Riemsdyk would be a good fit for the Kings, given their obvious connection and history with Philadelphia and the fact the two teams play a very similar system. Still, if we’re talking trading Johnson, I’d rather it be part of a package for an elite scorer. But, I’ve already beaten that horse enough…

Michael Grabner – RW, New York Islanders

Islanders' Winger Michael Grabner would give the Kings a much needed speedy sniper.

This one may be a bit of a pipe dream, as Grabner is locked up for four more years after this season, but the Austrian Winger is, next to Nash, the best fit for the Kings’ needs. Grabner is one of the fastest guys in the entire league, decidedly faster than anybody on the Kings’ roster. He’s also got great hands – scored 34 goals last season and should get close to 30 this season. His presence in the Kings’ top 6 would add an element the Kings are severely lacking, and Grabner’s blazing speed no doubt would open up more ice for guys like Kopitar and Brown. While the Islanders might not be actively looking to deal Grabner, they’re are a team in a constant state of rebuild. Dangling a first round pick and a decent prospect would get their attention at the very least. The other option to consider when talking about the Islanders: Rick DiPietro is perpetually on Injured Reserve, Evgeni Nabokov is a UFA and all but certainly gone come next season, and Al Montoya is a fringe NHL goalie at best. While they have guys in their system with potential, they’re at least two seasons away from mop up duty. Offering Jonathan Bernier for Grabner would be a good deal for both clubs. The Isles get a can’t miss young goalie to build around, and the Kings get a speedy sniper-caliber winger. This is one that I think Lombardi needs to at least take a stab at. If he’s speaking to Islanders’ GM Garth Snow, it’s probably not about P.A. Parenteau.

Chris Stewart – RW, St. Louis

Blues RW Chris Stewart would be a good fit in LA, and could be had cheap.

Rugged St. Louis Blues winger Chris Stewart is an interesting case. He’s been a consistent scorer – 28 goals in each of the last two seasons, and isn’t afraid to get into the hard areas and go to the net to score. His toolkit might be comparable to Kings’ Captain Dustin Brown, but Stewart has more speed and better agility and is bigger (that’s no knock on Brown, but we all know his balance mechanics are suspect at times). Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk came to the Blues last season in a blockbuster deal and finished up on a tear under then Blues coach Davis Payne. When the Blues stumbled out of the blocks this season and Payne was replaced by Ken Hitchcock, Stewart found himself in the doghouse quickly. Hitchcock has the talented Stewart pulling 4th line duty in St. Louis, making his value extremely low at the present time. He would provide a great fit for the Kings and the escape from St. Louis could see him return to last season’s form. Stewart is a top 6 worthy forward who could be had for non-roster assets at this point – since the Kings have only a first round pick in 2012, think prospects. Even if the Kings do get a guy like Grabner or Van Riemsdyk, I’d like to see them add Stewart anyway, simply for depth. He’d look great as the Kings’ second line RW alongside Mike Richards.

Nikolai Kulemin – LW, Toronto

Leafs' LW Nikolai Kulemin could be good fit in LA.

After hitting the 30 goal mark last season, Kulemin has had a dreadfully disappointing 2011-12. With only 5 goals and 23 points, the Leafs’ winger hasn’t exactly been productive. However, Kulemin does possess speed and tremendous skill and has been a plus player the last two seasons on a non-playoff team. Reading what fans and critics have to say about Kulemin reminds me a lot of former king Alexander Frolov, a guy with tons of offensive potential who wound up being enigmatic at best, but whose play away from the puck was an integral part of the Kings’ checking line. Kulemin, if he could be had at the right price, could be a good depth add with potential for a lot more if he returns to last season’s scoring form. Biggest issue here is that Leafs’ GM Brian Burke has his team in the thick of the East playoff race, and is said to still be high on Kulemin. The Leafs need some help on defense and in goal, so the potential for a deal to be made is there, just so long as the Kings’ don’t give up too much for him.

Jeff Carter – C/RW, Columbus

Columbus C/RW Jeff Carter could be a hit, or a disaster for the Kings

Considered by many to the be consolation prize in the Rick Nash sweepstakes, it’s believed that the Kings and Blue Jackets may have been discussing a deal for the allegedly disgruntled Cater before Nash’s availability became public knowledge. Carter was supposed to be the prize acquisition for the Blue Jackets this past offseason, but he’s been oft-injured during his tenure there and Columbus GM Scott Howson is rumored to have been shopping him for some time. The positives? Carter and Kings Center Mike Richards are best friends and there are those who think reuniting the two be a huge positive in Los Angeles. Carter has been a prolific goal scorer at the NHL level, scoring as many as 46 goals and consistently hitting the 30 goal plateau. He can play both Center and Wing, a plus since the Kings’ cupboard is stocked with centers currently. He’s got decent speed and would no doubt add another serious scoring threat to the Kings’ lineup. But at what cost? Carter’s character has been in question the past couple years of his career, and with the value Lombardi puts on that aspect, it’s almost hard to believe he’d consider adding him to the locker room. But, apparently that’s the case. Carter’s cap hit is somewhat reasonable for a guy with a 30-40 goal scorer pedigree, but he’s signed for the next 10 seasons. If a deal were to happen, this would be Carter’s second trade after signing that deal. It’s enough to make you wonder at the very least. Rumored deal discussed prior to Jaret Stoll’s hip injury was Bernier and Stoll for Carter and Columbus backup goalie Curtis Sanford. The deal would get Columbus their goalie of the present and future, and the Kings would shed Stoll’s expiring contract and acquire Carter and a serviceable backup for Quick. While I think the deal could potentially yield dividends if Carter and Richards rekindle some of their scoring magic from Philadelphia, it could also be a potential nightmare for the Kings if Carter implodes in party-hungry LA.

Ryan Malone – LW, Tampa Bay

Bolts' LW Ryan Malone is injury prone but could help the Kings.

Before last season began, it’s been suggested that Malone could have been a King for a mere 2nd round pick. Lombardi reportedly sat on the deal too long, the Lightning had a banner season and Malone was off the table. Fast forward to 2012 – The Kings need a winger who can score and Malone just might fit the bill. The guy they call “Bugsy” in Tampa is a fearless competitor, and while his numbers aren’t gaudy, he does a lot of the heavy lifting on teammates’ goals, the type of intangible that doesn’t show up on the scoresheet. He could provide a net presence the Kings have lacked in stretches where they haven’t scored much, which has been often this season. The Lightning want a young goaltender who can start and stick around for years to come, and Jonathan Bernier is the ideal candidate for that role. While Bernier for Malone straight up seems like a bit of an overpayment, especially while Tampa is in selling mode, there is a factor to consider: Malone has a No-Movement Clause in his contract and gets to decide where he goes in any potential trade. An irresistible offer such as Bernier might persuade Lighning GM Steve Yzerman to lobby Malone to waive his no-trade clause to head to the West Coast. Malone’s playoff experience, even at a relatively steep price, could also help bolster the Kings’ chances at a long playoff run.

Again, Id like to see Dean grow some balls and make the big deal to get Nash, especially since it’s rumored a hated rival is gunning hard for him (even if the deal doesn’t make sense for either team, they’re driving up the price). However, since we know Lombardi doesn’t normally conjure up the needed fortitude to make a blockbuster move, it’s at least somewhat reassuring that there are other guys out there who could potentially provide the Kings with some goal scoring help.

GO KINGS!

JS

Columbus winger Rick Nash could be a King if Dean Lombardi can discard his usual stinginess.

Game changers. There are not many of them in the NHL, and they’re rarely available at the trade deadline. When news of Rick Nash’s availability via trade broke earlier this week, the first thing that popped into my head was “We HAVE to do this. We NEED this guy”.

Nash is one of the NHL’s premiere wingers. He possesses an uncanny combination of size and pure skill that makes him special. He’s broken the 40 goal plane twice, and the 30 goal plane 4 times – his lowest goal scoring total since his rookie season was 27. And he’s done all this despite never playing with a legitimate playmaker type centerman.

Enter Kings center Anze Kopitar. Anze has been a 60+ point center in the NHL every season in his 5+ year career, without ever having the privilege of an elite, game-changing winger.

It’s a match made in heaven. Nash would likely break the 50 goal plateau playing on Kopitar’s wing. Kopitar would likely smash the 100 point plateau with a winger of that stature playing alongside him. It would make this Kings’ team much more than a potential contender. I believe it would put them over the top.

The Kings’ number one goaltender, Jonathan Quick, is giving up less than two goals a game (1.91 to be exact). He has given the team a chance to win in all but perhaps one of his 48 games played. The problem: His team is dead last in the league in scoring. Goal support at a withered clip of 2.10 per game makes Quick’s job the most difficult of any in the league. Even raising that average by .5 goals/game would give the Kings 12-14 more wins. That would give the Kings 89-93 points right now. They’d be the NHL’s top team by a very wide margin. Instead, scoring struggles have the Kings sitting at 65 points – good for 7th in the West, yet only 3 points out of first in the division behind a largely unimpressive San Jose team.

This year brought high expectations to the Kings. The acquisitions of Mike Richards and Simon Gagne were supposed to improve scoring and make the Kings Pacific Division favorites. Right now, if not for the play of Quick, they’d be buried in the division cellar behind surging Anaheim. Having already made a coaching change (which I believe has generally been positive), the man who’s job is most at risk going forward is general manager Dean Lombardi.

Lombardi, when he was hired in the Summer of 2006, preached of a 5 year plan that would make the Kings legitimate Cup contenders. While he’s done a lot to build a winning culture, the obstacle between the Kings and a serious run at the Cup is but one: they lack a goal scoring winger with game changing capabilities. Guess what? One just became available.

Dean failed at getting us Hossa, Kovalchuk, and Brad Richards. While Zach Parise would look good in a  Kings uniform, I don’t see them making nearly a good enough offer to land perhaps the game’s best American born winger. But they can get Nash.

The biggest gripes about a potential deal for Nash I’ve heard from fans on social media is “it would cost too much”. Columbus needs a good young goalie and help on defense, something the Kings have in spades. For some, the idea of giving up Jonathan Bernier (who likely won’t ever be a number one in Los Angeles), Jack Johnson, a top 6 forward/top prospect/1st round pick seems preposterous. I think people stuck in that frame of mind are missing the big picture.

We already have an all-world goalie in Quick. True, he is a UFA after NEXT season, but I’m not worried about him walking. He’s a humble kid who got a big break with the Kings’ organization when he was off most other teams’ radar. The Kings gave him his shot in front of the highly touted Bernier back in 08-09, he took the reins and hasn’t let go. I believe Quick will be a King for life. He’s the organization’s best goalie since Vachon, and could easily be number 1 on that list as he continues to improve. The likelihood that Bernier ends up being even as good as Quick, much less better than, is very slim. And I like Bernier, but right now, there’s perhaps two goalies in the league better than Quick. You’re talking a few parts per million that Bernier eclipses that at any point. Yes, he’s a nice insurance policy but at less than 20 games a year, a capable veteran backup would more than suffice. That’s just the reality of it. Bernier is the team’s most valuable asset, and the time to use him to make the team better is NOW.

About Johnson: I like Jack. He’s having a better year, he’s going to beat his career best mark in goals if he scores just one more; and he’s cut his minus rating at least in half at this point. Every time Doughty is out for any reason, Jack gives us a glimpse of what he was made to be: A number one defenseman. Part of me hates the idea of dealing him, he’s a great guy and made a big commitment to the club signing a 7 year extension last season. But, Johnson’s age (24), along with the length and reasonable cap hit of his current contract make him a very valuable asset. He’s never going to get a chance to fulfill his destiny as a number one guy in LA. Unless, we deal our current number one…

I’ll go on record as saying, I love Drew Doughty. He’s a fantastic kid, with a childlike love of the game you can’t help but like. I do think this season’s performance is an anomaly for him, he missed all of camp over that contract dispute (or rather, his agent held him out for a bigger payday because he has a personal grudge with Lombardi). Doughty is a rare talent that any team in the league would love to have. That said…If Columbus GM Scott Howson calls me and says “We’ll give you Rick Nash for Drew Doughty”, I make that deal without blinking. Nash is a game changer, exactly the type of player the Kings need to get to the next level. With Slava Voynov, who is better suited to a top 4 role than a 3rd pair spot, more than NHL ready; and the fact that Johnson steps up his play by orders of magnitude every time Doughty is out of the lineup, while fans might be disappointed, it would instantly make the Kings a better team.

The other name that’s been thrown around in rumors regarding Nash is Captain Dustin Brown, another fan favorite. I love Dustin and would like nothing more than to see him be the first King to touch the Cup. He’s an outstanding human being, his work ethic and willingness to do the dirty work, as well as his presence in the community make him an important cog in the machine. But, Brown has been playing with a tentativeness to his game for several weeks. I have often thought to myself  ”He looks like he knows he’s on the way out”, though I have no legitimate info that would make that more than a hunch. If we all take our fan glasses off for a minute, would you rather have a top line of Nash-Kopitar-Williams or Brown-Kopitar-Williams? We all love Brownie but Nash isn’t going to come cheap. The Jackets aren’t going to beg to take Penner or Stoll off our hands, they’re going to want a roster player with value.

Provided it isn’t gross overpayment, I don’t mind giving up a lot to get Nash. As I’ve stated many times, he’s a game changer. There are very few of those in the entire league, and they’re rarely available. If we’re talking getting a guy like Nash, I think absolutely NOBODY on the Kings’ roster except Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick should be untouchable.

Acquiring Nash could help boost scoring, and help the Kings reach the promised land, Lord Stanley’s Silver Cup, without Jon Quick needing to put on the greatest display of postseason goaltending in NHL history. I’d bet Quicker would appreciate it too.

Ultimately, I think either landing or not landing Nash will be what decides Dean Lombardi’s future as Kings’ GM. He’s whiffed on three game changers so far. This is his chance to silence his critics and make the Kings a team opponents fear. If he fails, the Kings could well be another first round casualty (unless Quick steals at least one series). It’s likely that AEG cleans out the front office if that happens. Lombardi knows this. My hope is that he realizes in time that lowball offers, just as with big name free agents, don’t work with big trades. This move could define the franchise.

Time to put up or shut up, Dean.

GO KINGS!

JS

It finally happened. My last post at this blog, over a month ago, called for a change behind the Kings’ bench. While a small handful of wins – most of them due to Jon Quick’s stellar play, may have put off the inevitable for a short amount of time, the Kings’ entered this week dead last in the NHL in goals for and riding a 4 game losing streak. On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Times reported that Kings’ executives were planning to fire head coach Terry Murray this week.  Reading this, I half expected Murray to be given at least the first two games of the team’s road trip to right the ship. Instead, it happened fast and General Manager Dean Lombardi flew to Boston to relieve Murray of his head coaching duties.  Assistant coach John Stevens will serve as interim head coach, but there is much speculation that Stevens may also be dismissed once a permanent replacement is found.

Stevens employs the same system as Terry Murray, but will provide a fresh voice. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun tweeted earlier that he spoke via text with a Kings’ player that wished to remain anonymous saying “I think it had to happen. We were dead.” That should dispel the idea that the players hadn’t tuned Murray out, something that’s been a point of contention among bloggers and reporters covering the team. Among the alleged frontrunners for the Kings’ coaching job are former Flames and Sharks coach Daryl Sutter and former Kings’ player and current Penguins Assistant Coach Tony Granato. The leash on Stevens should be very short, and his tenure will kick off with the toughest of tests, a matchup with the defending Cup champs in Boston. We’ll learn a lot about this team on the upcoming road trip. Lombardi reportedly had a meeting with all the players this afternoon in which he blasted the team for their effort of late. Lombardi didn’t want to fire Murray but felt his hand forced by the team’s disappointing play. Which brings us to another uncomfortable topic…

Lombardi is embarking on a search for the Kings’ 3rd head coach under his tenure. With the investment ownership has made in the team, the expectation is to win now. For as much as Lombardi has done building the Kings into a winner, if a deep playoff run isn’t made this spring, Lombardi’s job could be next.

Nobody in the hockey media was harder on Lombardi today than NHL Network “On the Fly” Analyst Craig Button. Button, a former GM of the Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames; bashed the Kings in the NHL Network’s Pacific Division Preview in September, and he made good on the opportunity to bash the Kings again tonight. Button blasted the Kings’ team, claiming they were working plenty hard but simply aren’t good enough to be contenders. He lambasted Dean Lombardi, questioning his leadership ability in the front office, and blaming him for the team’s struggles for “..putting together all these guys who can’t score”. Button bordered on scornful anger, and if nothing else, came off as extremely unprofessional in his delivery. “All these guys who can’t score” includes a top 6 who have all had a MINIMUM of one 30+ goal season in their career. It’s evident that Button hasn’t spent much time watching the Kings this season either. One other facet worth mentioning here: Button never has anything derogatory to say about San Jose. His lips have been firmly attached to their collective anuses for as long as he’s been an NHL Network Analyst. That he refuses to give the Kings any credit whatsoever is of no surprise.

I have another theory about Mr. Button. The hockey world knows Dean Lombardi’s seat is getting hot. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this is a make or break year for everyone on the Kings’ coaching staff and in the front office. I think it’s a distinct possibility that Button is panicked at the idea that a coaching change will make the Kings’ better…because if they do improve it will mean his rants about the infallibility of San Jose will be wrong, AND, perhaps more importantly there will not be an opening for the GM job in Los Angeles next summer. I believe Button covet’s Lombardi’s job, and covets the opportunity to work with one of the most talent laden rosters in the Western Conference, if not the entire NHL. Button’s rants are borne out of pure jealousy.

Guess what, Craig. You can kiss my hairy white ass. Consensus among most of the hockey media is that the Kings’ lineup is far too talented to be struggling as they have been. Only person who didn’t call them a Cup contender, or at the very least a West contender was you, Mr. Button. Feel free to keep poking your Dean Lombardi voodoo doll, hoping the team will fail so you might get a shot at an office in El Segundo come summer. Will you be man enough to eat crow if the Kings turn this season around, win the Pacific Division, make a deep playoff run or gasp…win the Stanley Cup? The team is just 3 points out of the division lead right now. All it takes is one spark to turn the tides. Are you willing to admit you were wrong? I doubt it. Your remarks reveal your agenda, plain as day. Fuck you, Mr Button.

I hope John Stevens replays the clip of Button’s rant on “NHL On the Fly” for the team in the locker room tomorrow, and every day thereafter. I hope it pisses them off the same way it pissed me and the rest of Kings’ nation off tonight…

It’s time to make Craig Button eat his words.

GO KINGS!

-JS

It's time for the Kings to replace Head Coach Terry Murray.

Dump and chase. Cycle, cycle, cycle. Shot mentality. Compete. Heavy board play. These are all Staples of Kings’ coach Terry Murray’s vocabulary. On the bright side, Murray has taken the Kings’ to the playoffs the past two seasons. But his four seasons as head coach have been marked by long stretches of inconsistent, underachieving play.

This past Summer, the Kings went out and acquired Mike Richards and Simon Gagne. On paper this team should be Pacific Division favorites and a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup. As of right now, the Kings have lost 5 straight games and have played perhaps 4 good periods in that stretch. It would be fair to say that the only two players who’ve showed up in every game they’ve played have been Anze Kopitar (on pace for a 104 point season) and Jonathan Quick. The rest of the roster has had moments where they’ve looked outstanding, but for the most part, looks far too comfortable. Unmotivated, with not nearly enough hustle.

Tonight, the Kings played in San Jose, a team that as usual has gotten enough verbal fellatio from hockey media to dry out Peter North. They haven’t been impressive much this season. Guess what? The Kings played well…for all of about 25 minutes. Sharks coach Todd McLellan made in game adjustments to counter the Kings strong play, and Murray sat smug faced on the bench and watched the team surrender 4 straight goals. It was reminiscent of game 3 of last season’s playoff series – Murray unable to keep up with in-game adjustments and the Kings losing as a result.

Is it a reach to say the Kings are playing like they’re trying to get their coach fired at this point?

I give Terry Murray credit, he has contributed a lot to the development of some of the younger guys. He instilled a defense first system that gives the team a chance to win most nights. He’s led the team to two straight playoff appearances. But, let’s look at the now. When you look at the Kings, do you see the man behind the bench that can lead them to glory? After much deliberation, I think, the answer to this question for me is decidedly NO.

It is the job of a head coach to get the most out of the players on his roster. GM Dean Lombardi has provided Murray with one of the most talented rosters in the entire NHL. He has depth at forward to rival any team in the league, a defense corps that most coaches would kill for, and perhaps the best goaltending tandem in the NHL. On paper, this team should not just be good, they should be dominant. They have, other than a handful of games, not been anywhere near that. Murray seems to be simply unable to get the best out of his players on a consistent basis. I’ve run out of excuses for him, and I’ve yet to see anyone provide any good statement of defense for him.

Simply put, it’s time for Murray to go. The Kings need a wakeup call right now, something to jolt the players into action. Murray isn’t capable of giving them that jolt. This is a team with Stanley Cup talent playing like a lottery pick club. This is unacceptable. The fans know it. The players have to know it (which is why I question whether or not this is a deliberate attempt to get Murray fired). Dean Lombardi has to know it. It’s time to make a change.

C’mon Dean. Each additional loss makes it that much more work to a punch a postseason ticket in the ultra competitive West. It’s time for the Terry Murray era to end in LA.

GO KINGS!

-JS