Things could be worse.
Stop the presses, as if there are any left running. The Kings won, and I got to see something that I've never seen before. You will have to excuse me while I take a moment to soak in something positive. Ok, now that we have all reveled in some truly needed post win bliss, we can get back to reality. The reality is, that this team has a long way to go.
The big boys showed up tonight. Line one accounted for all four goals tonight. Iaffalo proved why coaches have told players to send the puck to the front of the net for the last, well forever. The power play came alive with a great cross ice pass and El Jeff (Carter) showed that he may be recovering his finishing touch. Then, Kopi showed some grit and determination to accompany some pretty good instincts to finish off a short handed two on one started by Brownie. Then, Brownie again on the same shorthanded shift, not only earned a penalty shot, but finished it with a cheeky move. Short handed goals are rare, as they should be, but two on the same shift, much less in the same game, is practically unheard of.
Before we start readying another spot for a third championship banner, lets keep a few things in mind. For starters, Columbus just might be the only team in the NHL struggling more than the Kings. Even so, Soupy (I can't wait till Kale Clague moves up to the big squad so we can have some "Soup and Salad".) played a fantastic game, and covered up a lot of mistakes. We might just have to come up with a better nick name for him. The Kings defensive efforts will need to improve against better teams.
I couldn't really tell if the Lewis, Clifford, Thompson line was line three, or four tonight, but I'm gonna call them line three because they seemed to be pretty effective in many ways. They created quite a few offensive opportunities, and demonstrated an ability to hold possession. Sadly, they blew several choice scoring chances, and at times exemplified one of the Kings' biggest struggles, failing to exit the zone. When slower veterans fail to exit the zone, legs get awfully heavy in a big hurry. This team will need production and improved defensive zone performance from this group.
We will likely see Toffoli and Pearson on the back of a milk carton before we see them on the score sheet. Their struggles continue, just as the Kings also continue to struggle to break out of their zone. While chipping the puck to the neutral zone is far, far better than getting trapped in the zone, if this team can't find a way to break out on a much more consistent basis, they are going to continue pushing me toward an ulcer, a heart attack, and/or and early grave.
Things could be worse. I'm not sure how I would have reacted had the Kings given up two shortys on the same power play, but it would not have been good. So, as I head toward bed tonight, I am thankful for the win, for the goals, and the opportunity to cheer, albeit from my couch, for the team that carries my allegiance. Don't, however, think for one minute that this team is well on it's way to a Stanley Cup. While that may still be possible, they will need to improve immensely, and not take their time doing it. And, please, always remember that as long as we aren't Ducks fans, we are doing pretty well.
The big boys showed up tonight. Line one accounted for all four goals tonight. Iaffalo proved why coaches have told players to send the puck to the front of the net for the last, well forever. The power play came alive with a great cross ice pass and El Jeff (Carter) showed that he may be recovering his finishing touch. Then, Kopi showed some grit and determination to accompany some pretty good instincts to finish off a short handed two on one started by Brownie. Then, Brownie again on the same shorthanded shift, not only earned a penalty shot, but finished it with a cheeky move. Short handed goals are rare, as they should be, but two on the same shift, much less in the same game, is practically unheard of.
Before we start readying another spot for a third championship banner, lets keep a few things in mind. For starters, Columbus just might be the only team in the NHL struggling more than the Kings. Even so, Soupy (I can't wait till Kale Clague moves up to the big squad so we can have some "Soup and Salad".) played a fantastic game, and covered up a lot of mistakes. We might just have to come up with a better nick name for him. The Kings defensive efforts will need to improve against better teams.
I couldn't really tell if the Lewis, Clifford, Thompson line was line three, or four tonight, but I'm gonna call them line three because they seemed to be pretty effective in many ways. They created quite a few offensive opportunities, and demonstrated an ability to hold possession. Sadly, they blew several choice scoring chances, and at times exemplified one of the Kings' biggest struggles, failing to exit the zone. When slower veterans fail to exit the zone, legs get awfully heavy in a big hurry. This team will need production and improved defensive zone performance from this group.
We will likely see Toffoli and Pearson on the back of a milk carton before we see them on the score sheet. Their struggles continue, just as the Kings also continue to struggle to break out of their zone. While chipping the puck to the neutral zone is far, far better than getting trapped in the zone, if this team can't find a way to break out on a much more consistent basis, they are going to continue pushing me toward an ulcer, a heart attack, and/or and early grave.
Things could be worse. I'm not sure how I would have reacted had the Kings given up two shortys on the same power play, but it would not have been good. So, as I head toward bed tonight, I am thankful for the win, for the goals, and the opportunity to cheer, albeit from my couch, for the team that carries my allegiance. Don't, however, think for one minute that this team is well on it's way to a Stanley Cup. While that may still be possible, they will need to improve immensely, and not take their time doing it. And, please, always remember that as long as we aren't Ducks fans, we are doing pretty well.
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