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.
Kings score one, still down by two
Kiprusoff has been a workhouse for coach Mike Keenan. He's only missed five games all season long, and has been the goalie of record for every single Flames victory. What would it be like to have a reliable goaltender like that?
Well, maybe I spoke too soon. Kipper skates behind the goal to play the puck, and Frolov is there to pick up the puck and wrap it around and in to get the Kings on the board. Maybe all those games made Kiprusoff a little loopy. The Kings, although in last place in the West, aren't slouches when it comes to scoring. There are tied with the Maple Leafs and the Sabres for seventh in the entire league. I am salivating thinking about the Maple Leafs game coming on next week.
The goal seems to have the Kings re-energized, as they start playing the Flames closer. Nagy has replaced O'Sullivan on the top line. But here's the problem: The top line has failed to register a shot thus far in the game.
Iginla has a quick release and fires it past LaBarbera to help the Flames regain their two-goal advantage. The goal comes off the rush, as Eriksson skates in, then passes it quickly to Iginla, who is simply the best player on the ice anytime he's out there.
The second period ends with the Kings again down by two. But there's some improvement. The Kings finally unleash their shots, finishing with 13 shots. They get more offensive chances, and seemingly have the Flames back on their heels several times.
Jack Johnson and Rob Blake are given credit on Frolov's goal during the second intermission. With the league's fourth best PP, it was just a matter of time before they connected.
Second period: Flames 3, Kings 1
