Behold the annual cliche of the “what I’m thankful for” post.
- Drew Doughty signed.
- Andrei Loktionov is on the Kings roster.
- He looks bigger somehow.
- Slava Voynov is on the Kings roster.
- He looks really good.
- Anze Kopitar continues to somewhat quietly put up great numbers, and still looks like he’s underperforming.
- Mike Richards.
- Simon Gagne.
- Jack Johnson has been a game-changer more in this season than in the rest of his career added-up (except maybe in the Vancouver series two years ago).
- Tyler Toffoli is on pace to top his league-leading numbers from last year.
- He turns pro after this season.
- Michael Schumacher is doing very well in the Soo.
- Thomas Hickey leads the Monarchs in plus/minus.
- The Kings will wear their throwback purple jerseys a few times this season.
- Ilya Kovalchuk didn’t choose LA. (There would be no room for Mike RIchards, for one thing.)
- Ryan Smyth is an Oiler.
- Bettman didn’t nullify the trade.
- Alec Martinez and Voynov switched to proper hockey numbers (26 and 27, instead of 53 and 76).
- The Kings have two legitimate number one goalies.
- The Kings have the same number of points as they did last year after 22 games.
- Oscar Moller is still Kings property.
- Jordan Nolan may well be ready next year.
- Dean Lombardi is the Kings’ GM.
- People realize that head injuries are dangerous.
- Two refs.
- Brendan Shanahan in, Colin Campbell out.
- The salary cap went up.
- The NBA is stupid now, so we don’t have to be stupid next year.
- The instant access/video/stat heaven that is the internet.
- Movember is almost over.