Everyone should have a Dustin.

Since we last made Kevin Dineen very steamed...

IN: Jose Theodore has gotten over his knee troubles, sending Brian Foster back down.

OUT: Injuries are the big story here. Ed Jovanovski (hand), Scottie Upshall (hernia), Dmitry Kulikov (knee), Jack Skille (shoulder), Marco Sturm (knee) and goalie Jacob Markstrom (knee) are all out. If I were playing, I'd be worried about the fate of my lower joints.

Litter Box Cats has this lineup:

Fleischmann-Weiss-Versteeg
Samuelsson-Goc-Bergenheim
Matthias-Madden-Kopecky
Bradley-Santorelli-Barch

Campbell-Gudbrandson
Weaver-Garrison
Stratchan-Ellerby

In net: Clemmensen was announced as the starter yesterday, but the Sun Sentinel noted that Theodore might get the start instead.

Kings lineup: No apparent changes. The Alec Martinez showcase continutes, but -- noooooo, don't trade him!

Game outlook: The Panthers are currently in 9th place, just out of the playoffs, and are hoping to keep those hopes alive while they wait for reinforcements. They are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of puck possession when the score is close (15th).

The Kings have been outshot in all three games of this road trip, but at least three of their grade A scoring chances hit the net in Tampa Bay in gratifyingly normal fashion. Normal is good. We approve of normal.

The Panthers don't like Mike Richards, and Mike Richards would like to feast on their still-beating hearts. This could get snarly.

"Is the House of Usher open? May I come in?" --Earl P. Neck

Since we last had Willie Mitchell troll Steve Downie...

IN: Mathieu Garon, Bruno Gervais, Matt Gilroy

OUT: Simon Gagne, Mike Smith, Sean Bergenheim

INJURED: Ryan Malone (upper body), Dana Tyrell (knee), Mattias Ohlund (knee). Adam Hall and Marc-Andre Bergeron (upper body) appear set to return.

The Lightning are expected to dress seven defensemen. Brett Connolly and Matt Gilroy appear to be the scratches.

Tampa Bay Lineup:

Pyatt-Lecavalier-St. Louis
Purcell-Stamkos-Downie
Thompson-Moore-Wyman
Shannon-Hall

Clark-Hedman
Brewer-Kubina
Mikkelson-Gervais

Bergeron

In net: Roloson

Kings lineup: Aside from Jonathan Quick, Sutter is sticking with the same group that went out against Carolina, including Martinez over Voynov. People who don't follow the team might wonder, "What's wrong with the guy who got scratched?" There's simply not enough room. Both are good 22-year-olds duking it out for that final spot, though Martinez could use a dose of luck to go along with his excellent possession numbers (his PDO is the worst on the team, while his Corsi is the best of all our d-men).

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been on a roll lately (6-0-1), while the Kings suffered their second straight regulation loss. The last time that happened, Murray was still in charge. Their first period was also their strongest. Given their travel schedule, that's not something I'm inclined to over-analyze. Let's hope they regroup and come back strong.

I read somewhere that Lombardi's comments on the trade deadline were a bunch of non-answers. I disagree.

Lombardi talks trade-deadline philosophy " LA Kings Insider

LOMBARDI: "[...] There’s two things that can happen. One, obviously, is a team just strictly downsizing, like we did five years ago, and just saying, 'Let’s get picks.' Secondly, you might have a philosophical change and just say, 'It’s not a downsizing, per se, but we want a change to change the structure of our roster.'

This is of course, precisely, what the Kings are facing now. Not only because they have too many of a certain type of forward and no snipers, but because the wealth is on the blue line and (sort of) in goal.

[...] [M]ore teams realize what they have or don’t have. They take into consideration how many injuries they have, and say, `If we get guys back, we’re OK,’ or they say, `We’ve got to look at upgrading our back end.’ [...]

If we make a list of teams that need help on defense, we could probably narrow down the options pretty quickly.

"The question about the rentals is just the price. If you look back, and you take all the deadline deals — just look at them and line them up — you’ve got all kinds of juice on deadline day, but how many of them have really effected the team? There’s this perception of all this juice and action, then you look at what really happens. Last year, arguably, we got one of the top players. How many players had average 25 goals? That was, `Wow, that was a big deal.’ In terms of the rentals, that’s always going to be there. As a practical matter, we don’t have a second and a third (round draft picks). Manchester is still a very young team, but you always have to be cognizant that (new) guys are coming through.’’

To me, that says he is not inclined to rent, unless of course that rental is very special.

Question: So, as you look at it, it’s still a matter of finding the right fit?

LOMBARDI: "It’s being cognizant of knowing what we’ve got coming and knowing what we’ve got now. It’s knowing [...] who is going to help this team next year, and making (a potential move) fit with that."

I think this is the money quote. "...who is going to help the team next year..." Who is he referring to? We don't really know what he thought of the prospects in Manchester when he saw them this past week. But it's safe to say he's evaluating the following players:

• Linden Vey -- started slow, but has put up near the best if not the best numbers on the team since Loktionov was called up. He leads the Monarchs in goals at even strength (12). Vey just cracked the top 20 AHL rookies in points. (13 goals, 13 assists, +1)
• Brandon Kozun -- also started slow, if memory serves, but is scoring now. Not as defensively solid as Vey. Not getting any taller. (12 goals, 17 assists, -7)
• Thomas Hickey -- Manchester's plus/minus leader (+13) and is 14th on the list league-wide.
• Jordan Nolan -- second among Monarchs forwards (behind only Cliche) in plus/minus at +6. 4th line next year, with Kyle Clifford and Colin Fraser? I hope so.
• Marc-Andre Cliche -- leads the Monarchs in points, leads forwards in plus/minus, fifth in the league in game-winning goals (he has 5; tops is 6); could replace Trevor Lewis or Brad Richardson ( but -- well -- so what?)
• (Nicolas Deslauriers) -- hopefully will mature into the heir to the Doughty/Johnson/Voynov dynasty. Coming around lately, but isn't going to be ready next year, if he follows the Hickey/Voynov development model.

Question: But how patient can you afford to be? What if the only real option is a player who doesn’t necessarily "fit’’ with other things?

LOMBARDI: "I don’t have a problem with that. But as far as what’s out there, it’s like I said. There are probably seven or eight out there, but out of them, the ones that will be there as rentals, one of them will probably hit. Those are usually the ones that go to a really good team and don’t have to carry the mail.’’

In other words, Zach Parise (or whoever) will be a Red Wing (or Penguin, or...). But what I think is really interesting about that quote is that when Lombardi is talking about "a really good team" he's not referring to the Kings.

HockeyBuzz.com - Matthew Barry - Crazy Trade Idea!

To Kings: Rick Nash, Jeff Carter, that Sanford goaltender

To Columbus: Jon Bernier, Anze Kopitar, Jarret Stoll, Thomas Hickey (they won't give up Voynov, they just won't)

A few things about Matt's trade proposal (note: this is not a rumor; it's just food for thought):

1. I seriously doubt Columbus would make this deal. Yes, Kopitar is on the level of Nash or Carter, but Bernier and a rental (Stoll) and a 1st round bust (Hickey) do not level this thing out.
2. I guess Matt's reasoning is that Carter is toxic and so his value is way down. That still kind of looks like a deal that gets a GM fired. "Hey, watch me deal away 'the franchise' and admit that my Big Move was a disaster!"
3. Obviously, this deal doesn't do anything for the Kings if Carter is not going to be healthy any time soon.
4. I still have hope for Thomas Hickey. He has just about no value as a major piece in a big trade right now, but he's having an excellent season in the AHL (finally) and I hope Lombardi re-signs him.
5. I would just note that Kopitar, Brown, Quick and Parse are the last remaining non-Lombardi era acquisitions.
6. Re dealing Kopitar: yeah he's "great" and all, but at $6.8MM we're still paying for potential.
7. Does Lombardi think he has time to wait for that potential to be realized?
8. What would a Nash/Carter/no-Kopitar Kings look like?

Don't forget to buy a chance for Pancakes with Penner!

We'll be far, far away, but I'm still donating. I'll have to make a face on my flapjacks with egg eyes and a bacon mouth and have a conversation with that. Not nearly as cool.

Since we last faced the Carolina Hurricanes in...2010...

IN: Anthony Stewart, Tim Brent, Brian Boucher, Chris Durno, Andreas Nodl (claimed off waivers from the Flyers)

OUT: Erik Cole, Troy Brodie, Justin Pogge, Cory Stillman, Joe Corvo

HI/BYE: Alexei Ponikarovsky (traded to the Devils)

Possible Carolina lineup:

Tlusty-Staal-Ruutu
J.Jokinen-Skinner-Bowman
Dwyer-Sutter-Nodl
Stewart-Brent-Nash

Gleason-Allen
Faulk-Harrison
McBain-Spacek

Cam Ward

Kings lineup: Should be the same, except with Bernier in net.

Game outlook: LA's yearly Grammy road trip got off to a rough start as the Kings tried out new lines, and had one of their worst shot differential games under Sutter. While the Blues are one of the best possession teams in the league, getting only 22 shots through is still brutal.

Today brings a fresh evil challenge. Having arrived in Carolina at three in the morning, they will now play their back to back with less than 24 hours between them. On top of this, it'll be the a second game in a row reffed by the incomparable Stephane Auger.

We've come to expect a certain degree of sadism from the NHL's schedulers, but that's a double poke in the eye followed by a splash of lemon juice. I'd love to see them pull out a win in spite of it all.

Carolina has struggled this year, but are high off of beating the big bad bully Bruins very soundly. (I always wonder why people are surprised when games like that happen. Just because a team's lower than you in the standings, do you expect an automatic win? Have any of us ever watched hockey before?) Eric Staal is back on track, too.

Keep a stiff upper lip.