OK, so the Kings aren’t perfect. Unfortunately. And they’ll probably lose a road game this season. That being said, we have to appreciate the victories when they get them. Maybe Detroit fans have a bit easier time overlooking small feats, since they have other things to look at. When you’re a Kings fan, and you’ve struggled for the better part of a decade to find something hopeful, you cling to everything. Such is the case with this. The Kings, for the first time in franchise history, completed a road trip of over four games (five games, in this case) undefeated. In fact, the Kings are actually 7-0 through the last seven road games. That’s quite an impressive record, and has them back in the thick of the playoff hunt, in fifth place going into tonight’s games.

The Kings will go up against the New York Rangers, hoping to bring some of the success they’ve seen on the road back home. The strange set of circumstances over the last dozen or so games has the Kings looking at a 7-0 road record, but only 3-4 at home. Obviously that disparity is unlikely to remain for the course of the season (and hopefully for the fans at Staples they can start turning that stat around tonight), but it’s an interesting element of a developing team. My best guess is that on the road the youngsters that make up the driving force of the team are more focused. They’ve got less on their minds, since they’re not going home, they’re not in their own day-to-day life routines, which means they can focus more directly on the feat at hand. Regardless of the reason, hopefully the Kings can replicate it tonight when they take on the Rangers at Staples Center.

They’ll be confronted with a ghost from the past when Olli Jokinen suits up for the Rangers, after having played for the Kings in ‘99. Isn’t he creepy looking?

Go Kings!

I suppose it’s naive of me not to at least mention the hottest topic running around the NHL at the moment. That being the rampant rumors of Kovalchuk’s impending trade. There have been many discussions of where he might be heading, but the one that is of the most importance to readers of this blog (and specifically me), is the Kovalchuk to the Kings rumor. It’s an interesting thought, and certainly having a high-powered, elite goal scorer is something the Kings haven’t had in quite some time. Arguably Palffy served a similar role, but he was never at the same level as Kovalchuk, despite years of impressive seasons.

So what would it take to get Kovalchuk? Well, The Hockey News is reporting that the asking price is Jack Johnson, Oscar Moller (or Wayne Simmonds), and a collection of prospects including Brayden Shenn. Now, to me, this is an incredibly high price. The Kings have spent years struggling to build a remotely successful team, and for the first time in almost a decade they’ve got a realistic chance of making the playoffs and potentially making some noise once they get there. Frankly this deal comes down to one key element. Can the Kings sign Kovalchuk long term? If the answer is yes, they can get him under a reasonable deal for the long-term, the package may be acceptable. It’s a big price, but Kovalchuk is a big prize. However, if this is a two-month long rental heading into the playoffs, I’m sure I won’t be alone in losing my mind over the ridiculousness of this trade. If the Kings were a realistic Stanley Cup contender? Maybe. But they’re not. If they make a run, it’ll be a surprise, and certainly not worth ditching the future for one long-shot chance at the Cup.

It’ll be interesting to see how it all works out, though all signs point to the fact that this is the kind of deal that’s not going to be finalized until after the Olympics in Vancouver are completed. I’m hoping Lombardi holds firm to his plan of rebuilding, and keeps our important pieces in tact. Especially if the return is a mere rental!

Maybe this shouldn’t be all that surprising, after all the Leafs… well… the Leafs are pretty much awful. Nonetheless, the Kings managed to extend their winning streak to three games, and have won two consecutive on the road. Not a bad start to the road trip, with the Blue Jacket, Bruins and Devils lined up for the next three games. In fact, after a tragically disappointing homestead, this is precisely the road trip that the Kings need to regain momentum going into the Olympic Break in February.

I must admit the fact that the game wasn’t televised was more than a little annoying to this Kings fan, and the fact that Fox Sports appears to have lost their collective minds when it comes to televising games is a constant headache, but regardless, the game turned out well and I’m excited to turn on the television on Thursday as the Kings get ready to try to extend their streak to four games with a win against the Blue Jackets.

Has it really been a week since I last posted? It’s amazing how quickly time flies! My apologies to all, I was away and unfortunately unable to post as frequently as I’d have liked. That said, the Kings were quite busy over the last few games. Let’s take a look how they’re doing:

Kings v. Red Wings – LOSS (2-1)

Kings v. Blues – LOSS (4-3)

Kings v. Sharks – LOSS (2-1)

Kings v. Ducks – WIN (4-0)

Kings v. Bruins – WIN (4-3)

As you can see from that stretch run of games, they had a bit of a struggle after the beat down that they put on the Sharks the game before. Perhaps it was a bit of a hangover, perhaps (as is the case with Detroit especially) they ran into an insanely hot keeper. Regardless, it is clear that streaks of three consecutive losses isn’t going to be sustainable in the long run.

Fortunately after putting in a relatively lackluster and disappointing performance (for my benefit, sitting in the 3rd row from the ice) against the Sharks, they turned things around against the hated Ducks. Of course the Ducks were missing some of their players, including Selanne who had been injured the game prior. Despite these mitigating circumstances, the utterly dominating performance by the Kings snapped a 5 game winning streak for the Ducks, and put the Kings back on the right track.

The Kings continued their strong play with a shootout win against the Bruins two nights ago, and are gearing up for the last two games in this homestead, against the Sharks (again) and the Sabres. They should be two very telling games for the Kings. Having dominated the season series against the Sharks so far, it is important for them to come out strong and get a result against the division leading Sharks, and it will certainly be no easy test to defeat Ryan Miller and his impressive skills.

What do you think we have to look forward to? Are the Kings going to be able to turn up the heat and go into the Olympic break strong? Or are we looking at limping into the break on the verge of falling out of the playoff race? At this point I think a 6-8 place finish in the Western Conference is where I see the Kings ending up, although they certainly could fall out of contention if they can’t keep it together. Either way, it’ll be the most interesting March and April in recent history for Kings fans!

Luc Robitaille might be the greatest player ever to suit up for the Los Angeles Kings. In fact, I think I can say with sincerity that Lucky Luc is one of the biggest reasons that I’m as big of a fan of the Kings as I am. I’m sure anyone who has been a fan of the Kings since before 2006 is well aware of the impact that Luc has made on the team, but just for kicks, let’s look at a few of his accomplishments:

• 8 All-Star Teams
• 668 Goals (NHL Record for Left Wingers)
• 1,394 Points (NHL Record for Left Wingers)
• Most Goals for the Kings franchise
• Hall of Fame Inductee
• Retired Number (20) with the Los Angeles Kings
• Drafted in the 9th Round

Yea, that last point may be the most impressive. He’s managed to become the HIGHEST SCORING LEFT WINGER IN HISTORY from the 9th round. Talk about finding a gem late in the draft. On top of all of that is the fact that Luc appears to be (and by all accounts is) the nicest guy in the world. He is genuinely humble, pleasant and generous with his time. Despite being “entitled” to acting the pompous asses that many in other sports and even others in the NHL might act, he never put on that persona. He’s a great player, and a great guy. In fact, I can say with 100% certainty that he’s the only player that would ever convince me to root for the Red Wings in 2002, when Robitaille got his well-deserved Stanley Cup. If he had been forced to retire without getting his name on the greatest trophy in sports, it would have been a true tragedy.

Sorry for the trip down memory lane, but despite the fact that I write about the Kings in the here and now, I figured it was only right to pay tribute to one of the all-time greats.