Devestating Loss

So the Kings didn’t play well. While I’d like to think I was enough motivation to get the Kings out of the gate strong, clearly that was not the case. The Kings struggled for the majority of the game, despite having some solid stretches, and ultimately ended up on the wrong side of a 3-2 decision. I’ll say a few things that dawned on me as I was watching:

First, Alexander Frolov is a mystery. Seriously. Frolov has the kind of dominance on the puck that’s impressive to see. He can singlehandedly hang on to the puck along the boards for long periods of time. The only thing he lacks seems to be the drive to the net desire. This is why he’s the frustrating player that has been lighting up the blogosphere for the last few years. He’s got all the skills to be a force in the NHL, but he doesn’t seem to be interested in putting it all together. Maybe not “interested” is unfair. He’s clearly giving a lot of effort in his game, but he just isn’t putting it all together, for reasons that escape me. Unfortunately they seem to escape Kings management as well, and Frolov is struggling to put up the points we were hoping from him as secondary scoring.

Second, Quick is an average keeper. He’s still young, and he could develop, but I am skeptical that Quick is the answer for the Kings in the long run. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that we’ve got him so that Bernier can have some more seasoning in the AHL before being thrown into the NHL, but I don’t see him as the answer long-term. Certainly I’ll be a happy camper if he proves me wrong and emerges as a truly dominant keeper, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on him here at Rink Royalty!

Finally, despite failing to win the game, the Kings proved to me that they’re legit. Are they likely to win the Cup? Still not this year. But they are playing with an urgency that seems to have been lacking in the last few years. Perhaps the most important thing is that they seem to think they can win every game. The players are hustling for pucks (especially Simmonds!) and the team has the killer instinct that will serve them well as they continue to develop over the next couple years.

Up next: Calgary Flames