What can I really say? I could try and just say that the Kings suck
and that someone should really take them out back and put them down
like Old Yeller. Except that the Kings players could be lucky and
have Russ Courtnall be the shooter. Then all they would have to do
is hide near a net as he shoots wide.
Blah. Maybe it's the fact I've been writing for LCS Hockey for so
long (four years and change) and that I've seen a total of four
playoff games in that time. I'm a little jaded to believe that Dave
Taylor isn't sniffing glue and will pull together the Kings into a
playoff caliber team, let alone a championship team.
But that isn't the point of this column. I'm supposed to recap the
season. OK, here goes:
The Kings won a total of 32 games, finishing last in the Pacific
Division. At least they had a better record than the Canucks,
which means something, I guess.
The Kings couldn't score to save their lives, with no veterans with
the possible exception of Luc Robitaille, showing the hustle needed
to squeak out a few ugly goals.
Their defense was pitiful. Rob Blake went from being a
Norris-winning defenseman who could control games with both his
offensive skills and by throwing around opposing forwards like rag
dolls. This season, well, he was injured several times and when he
wasn't he just wasn't playing that good.
Team MVP: Luc Robitaille. Without his offense the
Kings would have lost 20 more games and shown absolutely no
hustle. In his second season back with the Kings after several
disappointing seasons with the Rangers and Pens, Robitaille
produced an excellent year, sporting 39 goals and 74 points for the
season. And he did this while being teamed with some of the most
pitiful linemates possible.
Surprise: Pavel Rosa. The kid is turning into the
second coming of Luc. He got 16 points in 29 games, which is
pretty darn good considering that Larry Robinson threw him into the
doghouse so he was benched for several long stretches or played a
few seconds in the games he was activated for.
Disappointments: Yeehaw. Let's get the list going.
Rob Blake. The defending Norris winner is supposed to be a
pretty good defenseman. He wasn't this year. It was sad to watch
him try and push the puck up when there weren't any openings while
attempting to jump-start the Kings creaky offense. It didn't work.
And the defense suffered as a result. And defense for Blake has
never been his strength. Sure, he can start hitting everything in
sight and make opposing teams fear him, but he has grown to rely
too much on the defensive prowess of Mattias Norstrom, which is OK
once in a while, but when it causes several three-goal deficits, it
kind of grows old quick. Also, one of my pet peeves with Blake has
to be his lack of leadership. If you have a C on your sweater it
is supposed to mean something. So why was it a big deal for Blake
to stand up toward the end of the season and say that those people
who don't try shouldn't play? Of course they shouldn't be playing,
you big wanker! For God's sake, that shouldn't be something you
just discovered after the team has fallen out of playoff
contention, it should be the way it always is. Dammit, that still
pisses me off.
Jozef Stumpel. He was expected to step up and repeat or
improve upon the previous season's success. He didn't. He scored
13 goals and 34 points. For a first-line center that is pitiful.
And to make things worse, his lack of offensive production showed
off the fact that he doesn't bring much to the table defensively.
Jozef, if you are reading this, I have two bits of advice: learn
defensive positioning, since it is bad if the guy you are covering
goes right around you toward the net; and don't make clearing
passes that go right in front of the net, since when you put those
passes right on the stick of the opposing players it makes it easy
for them to score. Really.
Ian Laperriere. I know he's one of the most popular Kings'
players out there, but this past season he just plain sucked. He
didn't do those things he had done to make himself successful. I
remember the Laperriere who would take runs at anybody and
everybody. This season? Well, he would go weeks without a good
hit.
Matt Johnson. Ok, I know it is a part of hockey to have a
big guy who can kill the other team in fights. I can live with
that. But I do not and will not condone a player who is a cheap
shot artist who makes plays that appear to be deliberate attempts
to injure another player. It is one thing to drop the gloves with
a guy who is ready and willing to fight. It is another to sucker
punch a guy in the back of the head, or to two-hand slash someone.
This type of behavior is one of the main problems facing hockey, as
the players have become so jaded in their attempts to be the big,
bad hockey player that they will be willing to end someone else's
career.
Larry Robinson: Larry turned out to be a good guy. But many
times, nice guys should be assistant coaches and not head coaches.
Robinson let players who shouldn't be playing play just because he
got BSed into thinking they would try harder. I can see it happening
once, but c'mon, an entire season? I'm sure he could have found some
young punk squandering away in a minor league who would have killed
for the chance to replace those players who coasted through the
season. And I'd rather watch a loser who tries than a loser who
doesn't.
Dave Taylor. The Kings needed a scorer. What did they do?
Nothing. He might be able to redeem himself if he can develop
players like Rosa, but I'm not going to be kind now.
Off-Season Changes: The first move has been done. Larry
Robinson out. Andy Murray in. Which brings up the question of "WHO
THE HELL IS ANDY MURRAY?" Well, he's been around for a heck of a
long time, and might turn out to be a good choice as a coach. He
has experience mostly with young and European players (even
coaching over in Switzerland and Germany for about eight years.)
Sure it looks bad to have a Ted Nolan sitting on the sidelines
while hiring a guy who coached a high school team in Minnesota. But
didn't they say similar things about Nolan when Buffalo first hired
him? And at least Murray doesn't have the history of feuding with
players and management like Nolan does.
|
Ziggy Palffy
by Meredith Martini
|
The second move has also been done. The Kings acquired a marquee
to fill seats at the new arena. Los Angeles picked up Ziggy Palffy
from the New York Islanders along with Bryan Smolinski, Marcel
Cousineau and a 1999 fourth-round pick for Olli Jokinen, Josh
Green, Mathieu Biron and the Kings' eighth overall pick in this
year's draft.
The Kings had to give up some young talent to get Palffy, but this
is a good attempt to make the Kings entertaining again. Although, as
evidenced by the Islanders record last season, Palffy alone doesn't
mean a winning record.
My prediction: the Kings will disappoint during the off
season, but will build themselves enough to squeak into playoff
contention. And they've got the new Staples Center opening too,
which means they will have the chance to suck in pure luxury. What
a shame LCS Hockey won't be around to see it.
