This is one hell of a year to be a Kings fan. The Los Angeles Kings, perennially at the bottom of the Western Conference, appear to finally have broken through. With their fourth straight win (and third since the last update), the Kings are tied with the Sharks in total points, and currently occupy 1st place in the Western Conference.
Wait. Let’s say that again.
1st place in the Western Conference.
The Los Angeles Kings.
Not the Red Wings, or the Blackhawks, or the Sharks, or the godforsaken Ducks. The Kings. Are in 1st place.
Sorry for the repetition, but I’ve had to pinch myself about four times while writing this blog just to make sure I’m not dreaming. Of course the season is far from over, with just under 50 games left to play. And I’ll be the first to admit I’ll be shocked if the Kings are in the same place come the end of the season. Regardless, this is a great spot to be, and if the team can keep performing even close to this level, we’ll be in good shape to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002!
There are a couple things to keep in mind. First, Smyth is looking like he’ll be back after the holiday break, and will be looking to pickup where he left off on the top line. I think there’s basically no chance that his return won’t help Kopitar, and hopefully he’ll get back on track. If the Kings can keep the secondary scoring that they’ve had over the past dozen games, and get their first line firing on a regular basis, this offense will be frightening.
Second, Quick is on some kind of a crazy streak. If his performances lately are consistent with the play we’ll see from him in the long-run, I’m not 100% sure there is even room for Bernier. That’s particularly impressive considering the insane numbers that Bernier has been putting up in Manchester, and the fact that he’s been heralded as the answer for years now. Frankly, as much as I’ve been excited about Bernier while watching him develop, there’s no question that Quick’s performance this season has made it that much easier to wait while he gradually develops. I won’t be upset if/when the Kings have a legitimate goaltender controversy, especially when both options are potential stars. I’d also like to see Quick make the US Olympic Team, even though there’s virtually no chance that he sees any playing time. I think the competition would be useful and may provide some of the experience that will become invaluable as the playoffs near. With Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas ahead of him on the depth chart, he won’t get any games, and since it’s in Vancouver he won’t suffer terribly from travel fatigue. Besides, the kid has played great, and a spot on the US team would be a great reward (though obviously that’s not how they decide who should make the team).
Finally, Ivanans is a worthless waste of space. Now obviously nobody expects him to contribute offensively. Or defensively. Basically he’s just a big guy. But at the very least, it seems we should be able to count on him NOT taking penalties at the worst possible times. Seriously, it’s driving me crazy, and at some point Murray has got to realize that he’s just not cutting it on this team. Of course with a 7-0-1 record over the past 8 games it’s obviously tough to be overly critical.
What’s next? Any storylines we should be following? Let me know in the comments!
Up next: Vancouver Canucks