Back to the Kingdom!

The Kings have finished a 5 game road trip where they finished with a 3 and 2 record. They lost their first game to the Chicago Blackhawks, where the Kings seemed to lose their legs in the third period allowing Chicago to jump all over them. However they followed that up by beating the struggling Carolina Hurricanes. Next stop Atlanta, where I thought they would have had a similar result as they did in Carolina. I was wrong; they got whooped 7-0. Even though I thought the Kings defense seemed to play alright, and only gave up 21 shots, 7 of them manage to make it past Quick and Ersberg. This game was atrocious and at the time I was livid. Hopefully the game will serve to remind the Kings, if you take a night off in the “new NHL” you will get whipped!

The team finished up their last 2 games in Florida. First up was Tampa Bay, both teams played a very defesive game, the Kings tightened everything up eventually winning 2-1 in a shoot out. In this match they saw veteran defenseman Rob Scuderi go down with an injury.

In the first period of their final road trip game against Florida, the Kings continued to play a solid defensive game, but they also saw Keith Ballard lay a big hip check on Kings forward Ryan Smyth, who had to leave the game and did not return. The Kings seem to un-ravel a bit in the second. Jack Johnson had a 2 minute penalty at the end of the first which put Florida onthe power play to start the second. About 15 seconds before his penalty was expired Jarett Stoll took a slashing penalty putting them down 2 men for 13 seconds. Just after Johnson got out of the box Nathen Horton scored on the power play. The Kings were disorganized and a minute and a half later Florida scored again. The Kings didn’t give up, they regained there composure and fought hard finally drawing a penalty. Jack Johnson scored to give the Kings some hope. In the 3rd L.A. scored early again on the powerplay. Eventually the Kings new comer Randy Jones potted a shorty, his second goal and 4th point in 4 games, to take the lead. Unfortunately Florida would tie it up with about 5 minutes to go in the game. Over time solved nothing. So for the 2nd time in as many games L.A. went to a shootout and won.

The long awaited tough 5 game road trip was over and the Kings headed home with a few question marks and 2 key veteran injuries. More should be known once Smyth and Scuderi get checked out by their medical staff, and hopefully some light will be shed on those injuries before they face Philly on Wednesday.

The Kings did ok on their road trip. They came out with a winning record. It is never easy going on the road to face teams you do not face very often. It is a different style of game when they play cross conference teams. You are never fully prepared for what you might come up against. They need to take their loss in Atlanta as a warning – if you let your gaurd down against any team even those who are below you they can make you pay.

Luton