Game 25: Coyotes 2, Kings 1

It's gotta be the cheese ball. Maybe it was the 4 bottles of sparkling apple cider. Christmas tamales? Buffalo chicken dip? Chocolate covered cherries? Was it the Honeybaked ham or was it the smoked turkey?

What did the Kings eat over the holidays to becme so lethargic? Was this the same team that spanked the Blue Jackets and played extremely well against the Red Wings earlier in the week?

Turns out the Kings two two days off for the holidays, and the end result may have been Friday night's lackluster game. By the time they were able to shake the tryptophan from their system and showed up on the ice, it was the third period. And the Coyotes have the Kings' number for some reason.

The last ten games, the Coyotes have gone 8-1-1. Huh? How did this happen? Could it be that the 'Yotes are hungrier than the Kings? Could this franchise, that has been plagued by crappy ownership and has recently been bailed out by the NHL once again, actually be on the verge of making the playoffs quicker than the Kings?

Here's what I think will happen Saturday night: domination. After the game, alternate captain seemed pissed that the rest of the team didn't show up to play. Kopi was 72 percent on the faceoff circle, and assisted on the Kings' only goal, a powerplay goal scored by Peter Harrold. Captain Dustin Brown also noted that the problem wasn't Jonathon Quick, it was the rest of the team's inability to get involved. I'm not one for making predicitions, but if the rest of the season is any indication, the Kings should come back against the Yotes in a big, bad way Saturday.

We'll see.

• AP:  Mueller, Doan lead Coyotes past Kings

    “The team battled. We just came up a little bit short,” Jonathan Quick said. “We’ve got to refocus and go back into Phoenix tomorrow and try to come out with a different outcome. These are games we need to win.”

• LA Times: Inconsistent play costs Kings

    Those $11.50 tickets the Kings are selling for their six January home games seem like a bargain.
    Buying at that markdown price would have been overpaying to witness their 2-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes on Friday at Staples Center, a defeat that deflated a rare full house and spawned boos during a punchless third-period power play.

They said it

    "We didn't play with as much energy as we did last game in Columbus. Maybe it was two days off we didn't skate, but that's no excuse. Everybody should come here ready to go." – Kings center Anze Kopitar.

Looking through purple-hued goggles

• A Queen Among Kings: Blargh! Coyotes 2, Kings 1

    Drew Doughty was his usual studly self and played 26:19. I'm very curious about how his minutes will be altered when Jack Johnson returns to the line up. This won't be for at least another month so I really shouldn't be thinking about that, but their play tonight has made my train of thought focus on other things besides their efforts in the game. I can't really say how many minutes they'll go down by, but I'm pretty sure he won't be carrying the brunt of the minutes once JMFJ returns to stand fools up at the blueline.

From the other side of the ice: the Phoenix view

• Five for Howling: Coyotes Jack Kings, Take 2 Points

    The Los Angeles goal was scored after a missed call put the Kings on the Power Play in the 3rd Period. Olli Jokinen got called for the hold for pinning Dustin Brown to the ice after Brown punched him in the face. We got hosed a little there that there weren't 2 calls, but we ended up with the W, so not gonna complain about that too much.

Kings-related news
• LATimes.com:  Kings rookie Drew Doughty is living up to expectations

    (Drew's) "I Love L.A." life is handled by defenseman Matt Greene, who was asked to take in Doughty at his Hermosa Beach residence. The "On the Road Again" chore is handled by Dustin Brown, who rooms with Doughty on trips.
    Said Brown: "He sleeps for hours. I have to make sure he gets out of bed and gets to the rink on time."
    Said Greene: "I have a five-second buffer that I employ with him. Just think before you talk."

• LATimes.com: Trading for a goalie is unlikely for Kings

The NHL's holiday trade freeze ends at midnight local time tonight, but General Manager Dean Lombardi said Friday he's not planning to look for a goaltender -- for now.

Peeping the dailies