GAME 9: Canucks 4, Kings 0

"It was a tough start," Kings coach Terry Murray said. "We got a double-minor in the second minute of play, then it ends up a 5-on-3. You're just trying to get the game going and get everybody involved. We just about got it killed off and they end up poking in a loose puck."

From where the Kings sit, better days may be on the horizon. A young team with promising talent that could end up being worth the price of admission.

But before they can put paying customers in Staples Center, which was half-full Thursday, the Kings will need to fill one spot in the lineup: their net.

I kept waiting for the Kings to turn things around but their best showing was during the 4-minute penalty kill when LaBarbera was downright awesome. He made save after save on shots that I thought were definitely going in. Then they took another penalty, killed the two-man advantage but eventually let in a power play goal. After the first goal the Kings never showed much brilliance. Sure, they hit the post at least 3 times and Fro was awarded a penalty shot, but there were way too many instances when it looked like either it just wasn't their night or they were missing just a bit of focus and drive, or probably a combination of the two.

Scary. Just scary. As good as Jason LaBarbera was to start the game, having a goaltender of Roberto Luongo's quality makes all the difference for a sub-par NHL hockey team. The Vancouver Canucks are not that much better than the Los Angeles Kings. But when push comes to shove... Luongo's got their ass covered. Plus, you can't win a NHL hockey game going 0 for 6 on the Power Play.

"I don't think there is ever a wrong decision when a player still has junior eligibility to go back and let him play," Kings Coach Terry Murray said. "You're still developing physically. What you look at right away is whether a kid is physically strong enough to compete over the long haul. After the All-Star game, even after the Christmas break, things start to tighten down. It gets harder and gets heavier along the boards and there is more physical play."

...As voters across the country decide on Barack Obama vs. John McCain, and as California voters are about to decide on propositions dealing with marriage, funding public transportation projects, reapportionment and the like, Southern California hockey fans have also voted and they have given a landslide victory to the No on Rinkside View campaign.

The Kings didn’t make a big splash and sell out their future and they’re a fun team to watch this season. They will be able to make an impact in the future and have a good team that is sustainable. I don’t think the same thing can be said about Tampa Bay at this point, though I realize it’s early in the season. Right now, Tampa Bay has the same number of points as Los Angeles, but fewer wins. Both teams are doing better (relative to the rest of the league) than they did last season, but Tampa Bay wanted more out of this season.