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