Approaching Perfection?

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!