Game 22: Sabres 5, Kings 0

I got nothing. No one else does, either.

Seems the combination of the Kings starting their road trip with a stinker, the holiday season, and Erik Ersberg getting injured has caused all of Hockeywood to go into hiding. Whether or not they are all joining witness protection for watching an absolute beat-down of the Kings by a mediocre Sabres squad remains to be seen.

The frustration is two-pronged. Despite 40 saves, the Kings couldn't get the biscuit in the basket. And it's not like they were shooting against The Dominator, just Ryan Miller, who had allowed 5 goals in his last game. Turns out, Miller used that to his advantage, focusing on turning away everything Friday night. That's what supposed to happen. We'll see if the Kings can rebound from such a frustrating game. 

• AP:  Miller makes 40 saves, Sabres beat Kings 5-0

“I liked the way we approached things,” Kings coach Terry Murray said. “We just have to find a way to put some pucks in the net.”

• Yahoo: Team report

Special teams continue to be an issue for the Kings, who went scoreless on the power play and allowed one power-play goal in four chances. In their last three games, the Kings have faced only eight penalty-kill situations, but they have allowed two goals. On Friday, the Kings drew only one power play—in a 4-on-3 situation—and didn’t score. They have scored only one power-play goal in their last three games, coming off a three-game stretch in which they scored six power-play goals.

They said it

“We didn’t play bad, just nothing went right for us. We got absolutely no bounces around their net.”—Kings goalie Jason LaBarbera

Looking through purple-hued glasses
• The Kingsternet: Merry Christmas, Jason LaBarbera

I know it's just as easy to say "well if the goalies hadn't let in those soft goals.... ". The Kings are 10th in goals allowed per game. Jason LaBarbera and Erik Ersberg aren't the stars on this team and they're not the ones who are going to be responsible for any significant success the Kings have. The reason I have bristled at the use of the phrase "rebuilding" when speaking of the Kings is because the Kings have never actually done this before. They are building a team. A team that can compete, and even win, despite shaky or subpar goaltending.

From the other side of the ice: the Buffalo view
• The Buffalo News: Miller makes it an open-and-shut case for Sabres

"They got a good offense but we did do a good job of covering the backside," Miller said. "They just missed on a few tips. They had a few backdoor plays and a few bounces off the end wall that could have gone in the net but we had guys battling for the puck and kept [them] out of the crease and that's what we needed on a night like this."

• The Goose's Roost: Stealing Home

When I look back on last nights game I don't think Miller "stole" it, but that's mostly because the Sabres scored five times. However, stopping 40 shots against a team with talent such as Frolov, Kopitar, Brown, and O'Sullivan is no easy task, and although it didn't look like it at times Miller did play quite well. He settled down, played the shooter well, and controlled his rebounds; something which certainly needed improvement from Wednesday night.

• Muckers and Grinder: Five random things

Denis Gauthier is a scumbag, and I hope he gets suspended. Not only does he sucker-punch Kaleta; he tries to throw an elbow at him before it. After the classless punch, he throws his hands up like he didn't do anything. Then, when Peters tried to challenge him later in the game, he ran away. Spineless moves like that make me angry like nothing else.

Peeping the dailies