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STL 2, LAK 1 – Game Recap

  • And with that, the Kings spend one more of their budgeted losses. They have thirteen more allotted. The rest have to be wins.
  • The Dallas game felt to me like a playoff caliber game that the Kings just happened to lose. I wasn’t bored or angry watching the game.
  • My only complaint about the Dallas game is that Terry Murray, in his post-game interview, pinned the first goal on Bernier . You know, the high-tip redirect after the Kings had a chance to clear the zone but of course didn’t. Yes, the Kings took too many penalties. Yes, defense wins championships. But you aren’t going to win more than maybe 10 games a year if you only get one goal a game.
  • In a word (or two): GOAL SUPPORT. It was the problem last night. It was the problem tonight. I’m too tired to look at the box score to see how many shots Kopitar had, but it wasn’t enough.
  • The Quick-caused goal tonight: whatever. We only scored one goal. He’s not the problem.
  • And the game was boring. My seven year-old, who begged to get to stay up to watch the game, got bored after ten minutes and said, “hey, I know, let’s simulate this on NHL 11!”
  • The power play, which I (and a million others) have been picking on all season, sucked last night and sucked tonight. I actually have no idea if it’s that those ten skaters just happen to suck at the power play (in which case, why were they successful last year? Confusing counter argument: I thought the PP was boring and predictable last year, too, so go figure), or if the coaching staff is riding bad strategy into the ground. The only time this season that I thought the PP looked different was when Loktionov or Schenn were on it for about 30 minutes combined.
  • When I said I wasn’t especially freaked out by the Kings winning only five times in 13 games, I did NOT mean that it was okay to commence another losing streak. The Kings certainly have it in them to finish the season 21-12-4. But not “these” Kings.
  • Lombardi said a week or so ago (or maybe a month ago, it’s all a blur) that Terry Murray wasn’t the cause of whatever the problem was that day, that there would be roster changes before there would be coaching changes.
  • But, really, what’s he going to say? Lamoriello gave the guy they fired whose name escapes me (how quickly that happens) the vote of confidence, too. Didn’t stop him from firing the guy.
  • John Maclean! I remembered.
  • Lombardi might make a trade — he usually does something at the deadline — but he’s not going to tear down what he built. He’s fully invested in himself and his plan. And he will save it at Murray’s expense.
  • I don’t know how patient Lombardi can afford to be. I seriously doubt that AEG is going to accept missing the playoffs after making them in 2010 and being tauted by all the talking heads as the team of the future, or whatever they said.
  • I don’t think Murray is in imminent danger, though. As long as the Kings win 7 out of the next 10 games. And then 7 out of the next 10. And the next.
  • Time to bring up Andrei Loktionov and Oscar Moller, isn’t it? I’ll let you suggest what roster moves need to happen to make room…

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