LA Hockey Underground

Hate me for being myopic if you must, but for two games, I was more than a little enthusiastic.  Reality can be a demoralizing succubus, and she has reared her vicious and terrifying head.  Though a little disappointed, I am not surprised by the recent dismally abhorrent performances of the Kings.  I must say, as a writer/fan, it is so much easier not to use the word "we" in reference to the team when they are loosing.  Regardless, while we all secretly hoped for a surprisingly successful season, we knew what we were in store for.  The Kings are simply a growing team, and growing means struggling. Anytime a team changes coaches, philosophy's, and attempts to fill major holes with young drafted talent (actually the best way to build a quality team under the cap), there are going to be growing pains.  The Kings are not immune to this, and for good reason. The draft pics of several years ago are emerging as below par.  Amadio has emerged as a very nic...

    The beginning of the season began much as I had thought it might, but had secretly hoped it wouldn't.  The Kings looked like a team with major holes and issues.  There was some better movement on the power play, but few, if any, goals.  JQuick was left hanging out to dry more times than I care to remember and Campbell fared little better.  The oppositions goalies seemed to have a 4x6 sheet of Plexiglas strapped to their ass.  Unless the goaltender, ala Smith, handed goals to the Kings, they just weren't coming.  So, I hunkered down for a long season, and hoped to see incremental improvement both individually, and as a team.    The big change started on Saturday, when a friend of mine invited this poor civil servant to sit in their primo seats.  Giddy at my fortune, to not only get in to see a game, but to do so in style, I tucked my pessimism (some might call it realism) under my arm, grabbed a jersey and headed off to the gam...