Half-empty:
- Still last in the league in goals-for.
- Their 16 first period goals is last in the league by a mile. The second worst team has 24.
- Their 27 third period goals is third worst. Worst is 24.
- Just got shut-out by the worst team in the league.
- Simon Gagne appears to be out for the year.
- Dustin Penner felled by pancakes.
- Currently in ninth in the West.
- Third worst power-play in the league, at 13.2%
- Only one team in the league (Lightning, 4) has led after one period fewer times than the Kings (5).
Half-full:
- The Kings are 6-1-3 in their last ten games. That’s 15 points out of a possible 20.
- Teams that have done better in their last ten: Rangers (18 points), Sharks (17 points), Avalanche, Bruins and Senators (16 points).
- The Kings have the second best penalty-killing in the league, at 88.9%
- The Kings are fourth in the league in GAA (2.1) behind the Bruins, Rangers and Blues.
- The Kings are 12th in the league in second period goals-for, with 39.
- The Kings lead the West in OT goals (and wins), with 3.
- The Kings are fourth in the league in PP opportunities (why is that good? Drawing a lot of penalties is good; and it means that when the power-play is fixed, the benefit will be relatively big).
- The Kings lead the league in hits.
- The Kings led in the league in W% when leading after one period (1.000).
- (this really belongs in its own “just weird” category) Despite being last in the league in goals, they are better than that (4th worst) in goals at home, and better than that (4th worst) in goals on the road. So, worst in goals overall, but better at home, and on the road. Yeah.
- Sutter seems to like Andrei Loktionov and Slava Voynov.
- Ethan Moreau is in Manchester.
- Colin Fraser has been a pleasant surprise.
- Loktionov recently revealed that Sutter allows all three forwards below the goal line in the offensive zone. (MayorsManor.com: “Oh I like him, he’s a good coach,” said the 21-year old Russian, with an ear-to-ear smile. “I like his system we play in the offensive zone […]. He says in the offensive zone we can send three guys behind the net and keep it a live puck. I like it.”)
- Dustin Penner recently revealed that Sutter frequently is in the locker room before the game, getting just as pumped up as the players, which is apparently something that Murray never did. (MayorsManor.com – “I’ve never seen a coach before Sutter come into the dressing room four minutes before we go on the ice and he’s in there getting pumped up just like we are. He’s a really good motivator.”)
- Yesterday, Sutter mentioned that Jack Johnson needs to hit the net more.
- Bernie Nicholls.