Just reading the summary of last night’s Kings vs. Blue Jackets game you could tell that something special happened.  Doughty scores the game winner with less than a second remaining in order to save his team from overtime?!  Incredible.  As it turns out, it may have been even more incredible than that.  upon viewing the replay, it appears the game clock froze for a second and a half, which means that time should have expired before Doughty’s winner went in.  As my nerd friends would say, “What kind of sorcery is this?!”

Since I’m a Kings blogger and I’m very obviously biased, I’m going to play devil’s advocate.  So here are a few reasons why it matters the Kings won, and a few reasons why it’s moot.

It matters because…

The Kings got a point they may not have gotten.  And they got it in regulation.  If it comes down to some tie-breaker to get the Kings into the playoffs, this could be a point of contention.  Well, it will be for the team that loses the tie-break, but for the league this is a win and that’s that.  If I were the fan of a team that loses that tie-breaker, I’d be irate that there wasn’t some way to overturn that goal.

The Blue Jackets picked up a loss.  They could have squeaked out at least 1 point with overtime, but they didn’t even get that.  While I’m sure the odds that they’ll reach the playoffs is minuscule, it’s still not fair for them.  Nor is it fair for the team that may be going up against them come lottery selection time for the draft.  Maybe the Carolina Hurricanes would have a chance to nab Nail, but the Jackets get the lotto pick.  Hmmm…

There’s always the chance that this is a systematic problem.  I mean that literally, like within the clock system the NHL uses.  Perhaps this happens more than we know.  This one also falls on the other side of the line too, which I’ll get to in a minute.

Really those are the only reasons it matters but they are big reasons.  I’m sure someone is pulling their hair out in the NHL offices today over this issue.  Probably not Gary Bettman, and not just because he’s bald.

It doesn’t really matter because…

You play until the whistle (or horn) and Doughty scored legitimately.  Player’s know they play until the game is over and if I’m the Blue Jackets coach I’m a little mad at my players for not clearing the puck.

It’s on par with other in-game type mistakes.  For instance, how many times have we as hockey fans seen a goal that is clearly a good goal get waved off because the ref thought it was a high-stick, or goalie interference, or something else that really didn’t happen at all upon the replay?  I still get angry knowing 6’5″ Martin Hanzal batted a puck in basically off his nose and the ref called it a good goal.  Playing a game with refs making decisions is inherently flawed and those flaws become part of the game.  Now we know that the computers and clock make mistakes too.  Do you still want a computer chip inside the puck telling you if it’s a good goal or not?

Maybe I’m reaching a bit here but how do we know the clock wasn’t self adjusting for rolling too long.  Imagine every millisecond the clock runs long during a game and how much time adds up.  if we’re really being sticklers about it, I could watch the whole game and stop the clock every time the ref “intends to blow” the way it should be.

Honestly though, if I’m a Blue Jackets fan I’m pretty upset over this.  In a season worth of downers, this just adds more to the trash heap.  If the Blue Jackets were in the playoff race, I’d be even more upset.  But I’m not a Blue Jackets fan, I’m a Kings fan.  And I count my lucky stars that I’m on this side of the celebration.

As they say, you’ve got to be lucky to be good.

Go Kings!

Let’s be honest, as Kings fans we all want to be buyers at the deadline, and not Fredrik Modin/Jeff Halpern buyers.  We want to be big time buyers.  Like, what-we-all-expected-Dustin-Penner-to-be buyers.  We all know the Kings could use some offense, yet it’s not always so easy to tell what Lombardi is going to do when it comes to acquiring players.  However, if you twisted my arm I’d wager the Kings will be in the market for a goal scoring forward.  

Let’s not waste any more time.  Here are some of the players who might be on the market:

Zach Parise-

Why he might be available: His contract is up at the end of the season and with the Devils money situation and the fact that they have approximately 900 players to sign this summer, Parise might be out of their budget.

Why he might not: Well, apparently the Devils aren’t going to part with him at the deadline.  At least that’s what they said, however I feel like this might be a ploy to raise his value.

How awesome it would be to trade for him: Parise is the Prize Chicken this year.  He’s a former 90+ point guy and will make bank this summer.

How much the King will have to give up: A lot.  We’re talking 3 Ps (Player, Prospects, Picks).

Alexander Semin-

Why he might be available: He’s a pending UFA and the Caps aren’t too pleased with Semin’s hot and cold streaks.  Or his playoff disappearances.

Why he might not: On a team without Ovechkin, he’s the best Alexander.  He’s a point per game talent.  Plus the Caps will be in the thick of the playoff race and will likely need him.

How awesome it would be to trade for him: Semi-awesome.  Semin is like a trailer for a movie that really excites you.  It could be an amazing movie, or it could end up sucking.  It’s hard to tell with Semin.  I shudder at the thought of another Penner on this team.

How much the King will have to give up: A decent bit.  Probably 2 Ps.

Ryan Smyth-

Ha!  Kidding.  Next!

Ales Hemsky-

Why he might be available: With the glut of young talent in Edmonton, Hemsky has seen his importance drop markedly.  He’s a UFA option for the Oil that they can replace much cheaper with a prospect.

Why he might not: Sentimentalism?  Lunacy?

How awesome it would be to trade for him: Pretty cool.  Hemsky is a very talented player and can add offense.  However, he’s more of a right wing (the Kings need left wings) and he hasn’t been playing so hot recently.

How much the King will have to give up: Not a ton, but possibly 2 Ps.  I don’t think the Oilers want to give him up for nothing this summer, nor will they keep him.  So, the price will likely be fair.

Brad Boyes-

Why he might be available: He’s had a rough go of it in Buffalo and it’s doubtful they’ll want him back when Pegula can waste money on another Ville Leino.

Why he might not: Pegula may want to waste more money on him.

How awesome it would be to trade for him: Meh.  He hasn’t been setting the world on fire the past few years.  Another right wing.

How much the King will have to give up: I don’t think a ton.  Maybe even just 1 P.  You pay for what you get.

Tuomo Ruutu- 

Why he might be available: He’s a pending UFA and Carolina is no doubt a seller.  Lots of youth in Carolina looking for roster spots.

Why he might not: He’s a fan favorite in Carolina and the organization likes him too.

How awesome it would be to trade for him: Pretty cool.  Ruutu is a power forward with some scoring ability.  He loves to hit.  He’s sort of in the Dustin Brown ilk, but thankfully a left wing.  He is a tad injury prone though and they already have Gagne for that.

How much the King will have to give up: Decent bit.  2 Ps.  Carolina is looking to rebuild (or something close to it), so they’ll want pieces for their puzzle.

These are just a few of the options off the pending UFA list.  It’s always possible the Kings could go after a player under contract, but those are harder to predict.  There aren’t a lot of top-flight options this year for the Kings, especially with the lack of left wings available.

Who knows.  I was one of the people who said Lombardi wouldn’t sign Penner because he’s too slow.  I was wrong on one of those points.

Go Kings!

The trade deadline is over a month away but trade talk is starting to heat up.  Sellers like the Carolina Hurricanes have been moving pieces already, including former King Alexei Ponikarovsky, who is now a Devil.  Barring some kind of epic meltdown, the Kings will most likely be buyers come the trade deadline.  Later this week I’ll take a look at the players, or type of player, the Kings might be looking at picking up.  For now, let’s take a look at some of the players that are more likely to be on the trade list, UFAs.

The Kings have 5 pending UFAs on the roster.  Generally teams are much more willing to give up pending UFAs so we’ll take a look at those guys.

Trent Hunter - 

Real World Contract Comparison: Street vendor hot dog.  Dirt cheap and salty, but it’ll do the job.

What the Kings would lose: An experienced 3rd/4th liner.  A hard worker but ultimately replaceable.

Why the Kings might keep him for next season: Maybe they feel he could be a permanent fixture of their bottom 6.  Okay, even I know that sounds ridiculous.

Appeal for other teams: Like I said, he’s cheap and he’s experienced.

Scott Parse - 

Real World Contract Comparison: 99 Cent Store item.  It’s inexpensive and seems like a good idea but it’s likely to break and sit on the shelf.

What the Kings would lose: A very talented bench warmer.  Often touted as one of the Kings most talented offensive players, Parse has yet to show that with consistency come game time.  There’s a chance the Kings could be looking at another Matt-Moulson-egg-on-face type situation but it’s not likely a big deterrent.

Why the Kings might keep him for next season: Unless he finds a way to insert an “I” in between the “R” and the “S” in his last name, there isn’t much here.

Appeal for other teams: Maybe Parse just needs a change of environment.  He is very affordable.

Dustin Penner:

Real World Contract Comparison: All-you-can-eat Pasta at The Olive Garden.  It’s kind of overpriced and definitely overweight.  It could be satisfying but will likely just slow you down.

What the Kings would lose: Is it in poor taste to put a weight joke here too?  Honestly, not a whole lot.  Even when he has good games, Penner isn’t that effective for the Kings.  His numbers are a far, far cry from where there were in Edmonton.

Why the Kings might keep him for next season: Penner agrees to come back for next to nothing.  Dean Lombardi has a stroke.

Appeal for other teams: Maybe someone might think they can awaken Frankenstein’s monster.

Jarret Stoll:

Real World Contract Comparison: 2004 Toyota Camry.  It’s steady, reliable, and worth the price but it’s best days are probably behind it.

What the Kings would lose: Stoll is a heart and soul guy who brings consistent effort and leadership.  While he has been knocked down the depth chart, Stoll’s grit and experience is invaluable to the Kings, especially if they’re going to succeed in the playoffs.

Why the Kings might keep him for next season: If the Kings think they can move Loktionov to the wing (they don’t), or trade Loktionov for a winger (they won’t), Stoll might be kept as a 3rd line center behind Kopitar and Richards.

Appeal for other teams: Stoll is a decent price, brings a good all around game and experience.  He’s a desirable piece for any team but remember, the Kings will value those things as much as any other team.

Willie Mitchell:

Real World Contract Comparison: Bottled water.  You might be thinking, “I’m paying for this?”  but there are no surprises.  Consistent, reliable, and fairly priced.

What the Kings would lose: Experience, grit, and a top pair guy.  Pretty much invaluable without a similar player in return.

Why the Kings might keep him for next season: The Kings are flush with NHL level defensemen but only Mitchell, Scuderi, and Greene fill the “stay at home role” and they can’t spare any of them.

Appeal for other teams: Mitchell is a solid top 4 D-man.  He can play lots of minutes, go up against top-line guys, and can even fill in on the power play.

As you can tell, just because someone is a pending UFA doesn’t mean they’re going to get traded.  However, it’s always said that you have to give value to get value and these are some of the pieces available.  We all know that Lombardi isn’t always a trade deadline player.  Everyone was excited that he pulled the trigger last season for Dustin Penner (and we know how that turned out).  The year before, it was depth guys like Jeff Halpern and Fredrik Modin.  Most fans would say the Kings need scoring (despite last night’s 4-1 effort vs. Ottawa).  There’s still a lot of time before the deadline and if the Kings pick up the scoring Lombardi may not feel the need to add another forward.

Next time I’ll take a look at some potential trade targets for Los Angeles.

Go Kings!

Things seem to be pretty good under Darryl Sutter here in Los Angeles.  The Kings have picked up points in 13 of 14 games so far.  Goal scoring is up and the Kings are a more exciting team to watch.  The players seem to have found their fervor for winning again.  However, there are some things about the Kings record under Sutter that give pause for concern.

8-1-5 seems like a pretty good record.  Hey, just 1 regulation loss in 14 games is pretty incredible.  He’s taken the Kings from the dregs of the Western Conference back into the playoff conversation.  But let’s look a little closer.

8 of the Kings 14 games under Sutter have gone to OT or a shootout.  The Kings have won 3 of those contests and lost 5 of them.  That’s not so hot.  Even if their OT record were flopped and they had won 5 and lost 3, it’s a concern that so many games are going to overtime.  The Kings have scored 31 goals since Sutter started, which is just over 2 goals per game.  For every multi-goal game the Kings rattle off, there is a game with 1 or less.

The point is that the Kings have a problem finishing.  It’s not a new problem at all.  Look back to last season where the Kings were lights out in the shootout.  They squeaked by with winning so many games in the shootout that one had to question how they would perform come playoff time when there is no skills competition to help earn points.  Sure enough, 3 of the Kings playoff contests against the Sharks went to overtime and the Kings lost all of them.  Had the Kings managed to win just 2 of those games they would have advanced instead of the Sharks.

Finishing off opponents is a big problem.  Elite teams don’t eke out wins in overtime; they finish them in regulation.

To confuse things even more, the Kings 1 regulation loss under Darryl Sutter?  It was to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the out and out worst team in the league.  A 1-0 loss.  Granted, bad teams have their good games and vice versa.  I’m just not sure what this says about these new Kings.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Sutter is behind the bench now.  He’s injected a dose of desire that was greatly needed in the Kings dressing room.  The difference on the ice is palpable as well.  The play is more exciting, more offense oriented, more creative and daring.  However, before we start planning any parades, Kings fans need to take Sutter’s record with the Kings with a grain of salt.

I do love those suits though.

Go Kings.

Bob Miller and Jim Fox were talking about Rob Scuderi’s response to a question about the coaching change during the Kings’ match up against the Blackhawks tonight.  Scuderi was asked if he noticed a difference in their style of play since the coaching change and he responded by saying there is a little difference.  Scuderi said something to the effect that Sutter’s style is “attack before you are attacked.”  The Kings record with Sutter at the helm is 3-0-1 with 2 of those 4 going to overtime/shootout.  Scuderi’s simple explanation might be the best assessment I’ve seen yet.  Simply put, the Kings seem to be a little more proactive.  

I’d like to just mention some things I’ve noticed since Sutter has taken over the Kings (these are just my observations, so the words “appear” and “seem” will show up a lot).  Also, some observations on the Kings vs Blackhawks:

-The Kings do appear to be getting more scoring chances.  Where the Kings under Murray had devolved into “Dump and Chase Hell”, under Sutter they enter faster and shoot sooner.

-Forwards tend to carry the puck into the attacking zone more often, rather than dumping it from center ice.

-The Kings seem to have addressed the vexing habit of always looking for the perfect pass.  A lot more shots, even if they are low percentage BUT they appear to be creating more rebounds.

-Voynov is the real deal.  He doesn’t look very big, but he is a very strong positional defenseman and handles the puck very well.  I’m glad he wasn’t dealt off this summer because his stock has easily doubled since then.

-The Kings PK doesn’t seem to have suffered from the coaching change.  Guys like Kopitar and Richards are shorthanded demons.  Richards in particular has that knack for getting you out of your seat when he moves the puck out of the zone shorthanded.

-Patrick Kane LOVES to shoot short side high from the right wing.

-I wonder if Darryl Sutter will make any difference when it comes to calling up kids like Vey or Kozun.  Oh, and Tyler Toffoli is on pace for 118 pts and something like 60 goals this season in the OHL.  He had 57 goals and 108 pts last season.

-I like the Kings 4th line mix.  Clifford is one of those guys who isn’t on the 4th line because he’s just worse than the other forwards.  He’s a GOOD 4th line player.  Brings grit, energy, and some offense.  It’s not an insult for him to be on the 4th line because he owns that position.

-Justin Williams is one of the best forwards in the league down along the boards, in my opinion.  He was born to cycle.

-If the Kings can get their sticks on the ice when they’re camped out in front of the net, they’ll get so many more tip chances.

-The Kings didn’t look like they were going to go into “PK” mode in the 3rd and then they did.  A habit they will have to break.

The Kings face Winnipeg at 5:30 pm PT tomorrow, Thursday Dec. 29.  Go Kings!

I moved to Los Angeles in July of 2007, so I’ve followed the Kings from the inception of the Murray era.  While I’ll shed no tears for the loss of Coach Murray, I don’t trumpet his departure with excessive joy either.  Murray was the perfect coach for the Kings in the phase they were in, but unfortunately they’ve become something outside of his skillset; a contender.  Murray is often spoken of as a “teaching coach”, the sort of interim guy who takes a team from raw bits to a legitimate threat night in, night out.

However, another coach will take over on an interim basis in John Stevens.  I’m sure most Kings fans will agree with me when I say I hope he doesn’t become the full-time bench boss.  No hate for Stevens either, but he’s too similar to Murray to garner any sort of significant change.  No, the Kings have the personnel to play a certain variety of game that they just weren’t allowed to play with Murray.

When Murray arrived, the Kings were like the Ronin.  Master-less soldiers who had no direction, no cohesiveness.  He took over for Marc Crawford and inherited a burgeoning star in Kopitar, an offensively talented Alex Frolov, and a Captain in the making in Dustin Brown.  Murray took the Kings from the basement to the top floor with his defense-first mentality and shed players who couldn’t cut the mustard under his watch, guys like Frolov and O’Sullivan.  The Kings were at the top of the league in goals against and Quick blossomed as a starter.

Despite the Kings successes under Murray, they suffered their fair share of maddening defeats as well.  Two first round playoffs exits.  Several sustained losing streaks.  The curious rise and fall of Drew Doughty’s play.  While we can’t lump all of the blame onto Murray, it’s fairly clear that it is he that has plateau’d and the Kings players that have a bevy of potential waiting to emerge.

With an offensive lineup that boasts Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Dustin Brown, Simon Gagne, Justin Williams, and Dustin Penner the Kings should have no problem filling the net.  That’s not the case and that’s why we are where we are.  The task is now for Lombardi to find the right man for the job.  The injection of offense will be on the forefront of his mind since Terry Murray hockey was neither enthralling the offense nor winning games.

Can the new coach get Doughty back into the Norris conversation?  Can he get Dustin Penner back to form?  Can he maintain the defensive discipline that got the Kings here, but also insert some offense?

In the meantime, the Kings need to staunch the bleeding and stay in a position to make the playoffs once the coaching switch happens.  Finding the right coach is a process that Lombardi cannot and should not rush.  And knowing how meticulous he is, he won’t rush.

Go Kings!

21 games down and the Kings are in pretty good position, 4th in the Western Conference.  However, as per usual, the West is very tight with just 6 points separating 1st place and 11th place.  Though the Kings entered the season with praise from pundits, they haven’t looked quite like the dominant force they’re supposed to be just yet.  It could be a chemistry thing with a few new faces and injuries affecting the lineup.  It could be a pressure thing with so many sources saying “the time is now” for the Kings.  It could be a coach thing…

Offense: Goal scoring for the Kings has been an issue the past few seasons.  As of now, 21 teams have scored more goals than the Kings.  Depth scoring continues to be a problem for the Kings.  Kopitar, Richards and Gagne are all pulling their weigh as far as goal scoring.  Williams and Brown, while not setting the world on fire, are providing offense with a few goals and a lot of assists.  However, Penner, Parse and Stoll are all coming up short.  As for offense from defense, Johnson and Voynov have been the biggest weapons.  Doughty’s 7 points in 16 games isn’t bad, but the Kings expect more offense from him.  Grade: C-.  For the Kings to be considered elite, they have to be more of an offensive threat.

Defense: Unlike the offense, defensively the Kings have been strong the past few seasons.  That trend has continued into this season with just 6 teams allowing less goals than the Kings so far.  The Kings are a collective plus-4, not great but not bad either.  The minus rated players are fairly spread out, with the biggest surprise being Doughty’s minus-2.  A minus-2 isn’t something to cry in the corner about, but as with the offense the Kings expect more from him.  Jack Johnson has been solid on the back end for the Kings, which the Kings have been waiting for since he entered the league.  The biggest minus is Brad Richardson who holds a minus-4.  If Doughty returns to form, plus a strong Jack Johnson the Kings will be a defensive powerhouse.  Grade: B.  They can improve, but even without improvement they’re one of the best defensive teams in the league.

Powerplay: The Kings are middle of the road when it comes to the man-advantage, with 9 teams ahead of them on the powerplay.  Their powerplay % is 18.9, which isn’t too shabby.  However, if you think of it as they are converting on less than 1 in 5 of their chances, it doesn’t sound so good.  Only 3 teams draw more penalties than the Kings, so with an increased conversion rate, the Kings will greatly increase their chances of winning.  An improved Doughty will mean an improved powerplay.  Oh, and where is Alec Martinez (2 goals, 0 assists in 16 games)?  More on that later.  Grade: B+.  Ticking at this rate, the Kings are just fine but improvement with be another push toward elite status.

Penalty Kill: The Kings are smack in the center, 14th in penalty killing.  With just over 82% on the kill, the King score on the powerplay just barely over their kill %.  It would probably help if the Kings took less penalties though; they have been short-handed more often than 24 other teams.  Most Kings fans won’t have to think twice to come up with big offenders in this category; Moreau and Penner.  You might look at the stats and see Clifford and Brown are in the same category, but remember that Clifford has more because he drops the gloves and Brown’s ice-time plus his physical style of play will lead to PIMs.  Moreau plays physical but will take unnecessary penalties and Penner, well, he’s Penner.  Grade: B.  The Kings were stellar on the kill last season.  It would be nice for them to get back to that place. 

Goaltending: If I told you Jonathan Quick was putting up a .930 save % and 2.08 GAA would you believe it?  Quick has been lights-out this season and continues to dominate the Jonathan vs. Jonathan conversation.  At this point there isn’t even a question, Quick is the guy.  The only thing that could do him in is continued failure in the playoffs, something that is hardly his fault, not to mention is way off in the future.  Quick broke the Kings record for consecutive shutouts, notching 3 in a row.  As for Bernier, it has been another rocky start, but he seems to have steadied the ship earlier than last season.  His save percentage and goals-allowed average leave something to be desired, but he showed up big in last night’s contest with St. Louis.  Grade: A.  A stellar #1 and a solid backup are a boon to the kings, and honestly, necessary if they continue to struggle on offense.  

Coaching: I’m not going to pretend that I know how well Murray is doing in this department.  I’m not at practice, I’m not in the dressing room, and I can’t read stoic facial cues.  Murray has turned this team into a winner, so I’m not ready to doubt him just yet.  However, everyone knows he works a defensive system, which could be why the Kings are offensive underachievers (outside of Kopitar and Richards).  Unless the Kings suffer a major collapse, Murray’s job is safe until the playoffs.  However, another playoff misstep and we’ll likely see the hook.  Grade: B.  As I’ve said repeatedly, the Kings have yet to get over the hump into elite status.  If Terry Murray isn’t the driving force, Lombardi will have to find a new driver.

Management: Not really much to assess here except for off season acquisitions.  Who knows where this team would be without Mike Richards.  Penner has been a disaster, Hunter has been fine as a role player, Moreau provides some grit and experience, and Fraser provides some gristle as well.  Grade: B+.  The big one here is Richards.  The little pieces here and there aren’t what concerns me.  From my perspective, Lombardi is taking the steps needed to make this team a top contender and so far I approve of more of his moves than naught.  

Team Goat: Without a doubt it’s Penner.  He just hasn’t done anything to impress really.  I don’t know what he was doing in Edmonton that worked for him, but he just can’t find his groove in L.A. and I don’t blame the team.  He’s got to step up or else he’s going to join the ranks of overpaid NHLers in the minors.

Best Player So Far: I’d say it’s a dead heat between Kopitar, Richards, and Quick.  Kopitar is on the verge of elite status, Richards is a special teams threat and a face-off maniac, and Quick has been top-notch between the pipes.

Biggest Surprise: Slava Voynov.  When Doughty went down to injury for a few games, Slava stepped up in a big way.  He’s making the case to stay with the big club, which would mean Martinez would likely be out.

Season Outlook:  The keyword today is “elite.”  If the Kings continue to play as they have so far this season they will probably be in the same boat as the last two seasons; a low seed in the playoffs and a first round exit.  However, if they find that extra gear, they can really add the Kings to the list of legitimate contenders.

The Oilers slid into town on a five game winning streak and easily defeated the Kings to make it six in a row.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is not your Oilers team from the past 4 years.  This is a team that is rapidly becoming a solid playoff team.  Despite last night’s beatdown though, I would say they’re not there just yet.  So, what’s for real with them and what’s just riding momentum?  Let’s take a look.

The real deal:

-The star kids.  You don’t draft first overall twice in a row and come away with nothing.  The Oilers have 2 first overall picks on their squad and they deserve to be there.  Taylor Hall already plays like a seasoned veteran and very well could have been your Calder winner last year if he didn’t go down to injury.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is proving he belong in the NHL and once he fills out some more he’ll be an even stronger player.  Add in Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi and you’ve got a bevy of young talent.

-The old timer.  As much as it pains me to say it, Ryan Smyth is playing like the Ryan Smyth of old again.  He’s scoring weird goals, crashing the net and simply looking more comfortable.  Good for him, but I hope the incessant booing last night showed him that Kings fans DO pay attention to hockey and DID notice his departure.  A mullet like that doesn’t leave town without leaving an impression.

-The Bulin Wall’s Ability.  Ability is in italics for a reason which I will get to later.  The man hasn’t had the best of times in the past few years given injuries and arrests.  However, many forget he has a cup to his name and is no doubt a starter in this league.  On pure skill alone, Khabibulin trumps Dubnyk 7 days of the week.

-Chemistry.  This team has some kind of mojo going and it’s clear they play well together, which is something I honestly can’t 100% say for the Kings as of yet.  As long as that chemistry exists, they have a chance in any game.

Just hot for now:

-The rag-tag youngsters.  Edmonton has quite a few first timers on their squad and a lot of them are contributing in a big way.  However, the magic will fade on these guys and the season will take it’s toll on their inexperience and the road will get tougher.  Maybe I’m wrong and they’ll surprise me, but it seems more often than not young plug-ins will start off strong then taper off as the season wears on.  This gets filed under “wait and see”.

-The Bulin Wall’s streak.  Khabibulin is on a disgustingly hot streak.  While his ability dictates he can play this well, it won’t last forever and he’ll come back down to earth eventually.  It would be nice for Khabibulin to remain the clear starter for the Oil all season, something they haven’t had in a while, but history with him says otherwise.  If he stays healthy, ‘Bulin is the safe bet to keep the reins.  I just don’t think he’ll stay as hot as he is right now.

Onto matters at home…

What’s working for the Kings:

-The skill.  Obviously it’s there.  The list of names for the Kings is impressive and they’re showing it on the ice, more or less.

-Quick.  He’s a stud and the reason the Kings have a chance every night.  He impresses me more every season and just when I think he’s reached max potential, he takes another stride.  At this point in time I’m comfortable saying he will likely stay and Bernier will be dealt (later on, of course).

-The grinders.  Clifford, Richardson, Moreau, Lewis, all of those guys bring it.  I really like the spark and gristle Moreau showed last night against his former team.  He’s looking like a stellar pick up.  The other guys also bring the jam every night, which is good news for the Kings.

What’s not:

-The chemistry.  Ten or so games in is not a ton, but the Kings should be further along in developing chemistry.  Maybe it’s the constant juggling, the sporadic injuries, or maybe the newbies are just taking time to come along.  Hopefully this is one of those self-solving problems.

-Doughty.  I’m not sure if he’s still shaking off his injury or what, but he just doesn’t look like the real, dynamic Doughty yet.  On the defensive end he doesn’t seem as tenacious as he used to.  On the offensive end he seems hesitant to pull the trigger and I see Johnson and Martinez go end to end more often than him.  The Kings need him to be at 100%.

-Penner.  I know, I know, he’s taking a lot of flack for his play.  The fact is, he’s not the player we thought he would be when we got him.  We expected a 30/30 offensive threat, power-forward.  What we got is Ponikarovsky from last season, except less effort.  Poni came in and provided energy and physicality night in, night out but rarely hit the score sheet.  Penner brings the effort some nights, other nights not so much.  He also is not hitting the score sheet.  Right now I think Murray has more confidence in Parse and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Penner regulated to 3rd line duty more often.  Murray will continue to shuffle to try to get the big man going, but the chances will end somewhere.

Little rest for the weary, the Kings are back in action on Saturday against the Penguins.  The Pens are the best team in the league at the moment and that’s without the best player in the world, Sidney Crosby, on their roster.  That, my friends, is a scary scary thought.

Puck drops at 7:30 pm PT on Saturday.  Go Kings!

Jonathan Quick is expected to be back in-between the pipes for the Kings tonight in Dallas.  Terry Murray received a lot of grief for his decision to play Bernier in place of Quick against New Jersey, breaking up Quick’s three game shutout streak.  The Kings were shutout in the contest by a score of 3-0, but Bernier is not totally to blame for the loss.  Is Murray to blame?

I personally have no idea what kind of mental influence it would have on a team to take out a hot goaltender in this way.  Did Murray’s move shake the confidence of the skaters, perhaps making them grip their sticks and play outside of their system?  Did the pressure of being injected into the middle of Quick’s streak intimidate Bernier and affect his game?  I suppose this is all possible but it’s impossible to lump blame on any of these parties (except for the Kings skaters who just played a poor game).

However, the outcome of tonight’s match-up against Dallas will directly influence the amount of criticism Murray receives after the game.  What are the possibilities?

-Quick plays and loses.  Murray is blamed for essentially taking out his pitcher during a no-hitter.  Murray inherits the sole blame for 2 full losses, the Bernier loss to the Devils and this one.  No matter how well or how poorly Quick plays, Murray will take the heat for it simply because he didn’t make a popular decision.

-Quick plays and wins but is scored on.  Murray is blamed for breaking up the shutout streak but that’s pretty much where it ends.

-Quick plays and gets a shutout.  Pundits either scratch their head and continue to question Murray’s choices or laud him as a genius.

Hey, maybe Murray is a genius.  Maybe he saw that there was mounting pressure on Quick because of the streak and thought, “Okay, if I break up the streak and put Bernier in, then all of the pressure is on me.”  Not that any coach wants to put his neck on the chopping block, but if he saw it as a calculated risk that could pay off in his favor, who knows…

The truth is more likely just like Murray said, there was already a plan in place for who would play in which game and regardless of the streak they were sticking to it.

Whatever the reasons were, Murray has and likely will catch some more heat for this decision.  Meanwhile, the Kings offense hasn’t been all it can be.  The addition of Richards, Gagne, and a revamped Penner were meant to add goals in the back of the net, but have yet hit a stride.  Until that day comes, Kings fans will be waiting for the wave of offense to crest.

The puck drops at 5:30 pm PT tonight in Dallas.  Go Kings!

The Kings finally exploded offensively and it couldn’t have happened at a better time.  Kings fans attending their home opener on Tuesday night were treated to an offensive flurry and a dominant performance over the St. Louis Blues.  Here are my thoughts from last night’s game:

-Top line of Kopitar, Gagne, and Williams looks really good.  Originally we were looking at Penner playing on Kopitar’s left side, but I’d expect Gagne to stick around for a while, especially if they continue to click like they did last night.

-If that means the second line is Richards, Penner, Brown then I’m not mad.  Ricky (which is apparently what the team has been calling Richards) is a hard-nosed player, as is Brown.  Add in Penner and the second line is going to be tough to play against.

-Penner looked alright despite being a question mark before the game.  I think some of the heat for him to perform has been taken off by the attention on the new guys and Doughty’s injury, so it may be prime time for Penner to prove he can be a solid contributor to the team.  I’m always impressed by Penner’s ability to use his reach and hands to steal pucks from behind, as long as he’s not relying on it and doesn’t stop moving his legs.

-Voynov had a good first game for the Kings.  He’s a smart player and defends well positionally, which is usually a shortcoming of rookies.  As long as no one is expecting him to be Doughty, Voynov will do just fine.  I’m interested in seeing if his puck moving ability will prove itself on the powerplay.

-Quick is seeing the puck very well.  His vision and flexibility are his strong suits and they were on last night in his shutout performance.  However, Quick still ends up on his stomach more often than I’d like.  You just can’t satisfy some people…

-Kopitar looked dominant last night.  He started hot last season too then cooled off a bit.  Is this the season he gets recognized as one of the best centers in the league?  Or will it just be another point per game year for him (what a tragedy that would be)?

-Oh, and Kopitar’s saucer pass to Gagne was a thing of beauty.  Gagne’s patience on that goal was great as well.

-As a team, the Kings’ passing was crisp, creative, and unpredictable.  It wasn’t just “dump and chase” hockey, it was puck possession, in control hockey and the Kings dominated in that regard.

The Kings head to Phoenix to face-off against the Coyotes(2-2-1) on Thursday.

Go Kings!