A Seller's Market

3:55pm. IM transmission from Half Season Ticket Holder Buddy.

7:00pm. Oscar Moller's dreams of going to the playoffs crushed.

Noooooo! WHY!

Kings 4, Blue Jackets 5
My Chance of Seeing Post-Season Hockey for the First Time in 7 years, 0

Trade Deadline Blowout!

James and I have put together a massive Trade Deadline Blogger Extravaganza over at Cycle Like the Sedins. Nearly every NHL team is represented by a blogger answering the question "What would you do at the NHL trade deadline if you were your favorite team's General Manager?" Check it out!

20 to Go

Um, guys? That game was 2 months ago. I'm surprised no one told you.
Especially you Foxy.

Jon Quick is a really good goalie. He even has the potential to be an excellent goalie... what some might refer to as an elite NHL goalie. Something the Kings have never had. He's smart, athletic and seems to have the uncanny ability to calm himself down after giving up an early lead... something that has happened the last two games to the Los Angeles Kings.

Not exactly the look you want to see on your goalie's face after a goal is scored.

And in for the close up:

I'm pretty sure that is the standard brace position for a plane going down.

The only thing he can't do is score. He needs the 5 players in front of him to start doing that. And if those same players can remember how to play defense in front of Quick like they were a few weeks ago, the Kings still have a chance to make the playoffs.

Again, not the kind of body language a team is looking for from its goalie.

But they are hanging on by a thread right now... 6 points out with 20 games to play. 20 games in which this team has to decide what they want to be doing in April... playing hockey or playing golf. This team isn't getting blown out in these games, not in the least. These are games they could be winning. But with an extremely important game on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Kings must get this 20 game stretch off with a bang and not a whimper. Rumors are flying left and right with the trade deadline coming up Wednesday at noon. The only one I've read that has interested me has been the possibility of Ryan Smyth coming to the Kings. If I'm the Kings GM, I make that trade in a heartbeat. There is a reason Ryan Smyth is called Captain Canada and he's the exact type of dirty, hardworking, goal scoring forward that this team needs. And you know what? I might even give up one of my prized young goalies to make the trade. Because after all, Jon Quick is now the Kings goalie of the present and the future.

Just not tonight.

Kings 2, Chicago 4