Matt Murray has been a Kings fan since the late '80s, when Wayne Gretzky grabbed headlines by defecting to the West Coast. Since then, he has been a card-carrying bandwagon member as the club soared in popularity with their sole Stanley Cup appearance to their position near the bottom of the Pacific. But things are looking brighter, as he is anxious to witness the rise of the new Kings.
What's the old saying about insanity?
To keep doing something and expecting a different result? Coach Crawford keeps wheeling goaltender Dan Cloutier out. And even though he faced 29 shots, he let in 3. Cloutier now has the worst goals against average in his career this season. But is it his fault? Only one of the goals was on the power play, and the team seemed to be locked in and focused more this game than the last one, when Cloutier was forced to face several 5-on-3 shifts.
The Kings are in a rebuilding mode. They are hoping forwards like Cammaleri, Frolov, and O'Sullivan start lighting the lamp regularly. But Crawford had defenseman Kevin Dallman out there taking faceoffs, and he lost all three. Meanwhile, O'Sullivan logs the least amount of ice time once again, second only to Ivanans. Patrick must really be in the doghouse with Crawford if he can't crack the Kings' top three lines.
