Game 42: Lightning 3, Kings 1

There's just one stat I want to point out...

The Kings' winning percentage when falling behind after one period is .100. Only Ottawa has it worse. When the Kings score first, there are middle of the pack, but coming from behind is not this team's strong suit. And that comes from playing in Terry Murray's defensive system.

They have the talent to run the system, but they are going to have to release the hounds and get after it on the offense. And that's the crux of fans' frustration this season. Their scoring average is down from 2.76 last season to 2.43 this season.

And to make matters worse, they knocked Calder hopeful Drew Doughty from the game. He currently listed day-to-day with a thigh bruise.

All in all, it made for a crappy night of hockey. So frustrated was I, that I turned it off and cranked up the Wii and started cranking out Jackknifes in WiiFit. So, I'm a little sore today. But at least I'll have rock abs. If those rocks are made from pudding.

• AP:  Artyukhin, Recchi lift Lightning past Kings, 3-1

After scoring the game’s first goal, Evgeny Artyukhin put a hit on Drew Doughty that put the Los Angeles Kings’ rookie defenseman out for the rest of the game—ending the first showdown between the league’s top two draft picks.

• LA Times: Kings lose game, may lose Drew Doughty

"This was a game we needed and we didn't get the performance we needed from anybody in this room," Kings captain Dustin Brown said.

• Daily News: Kings go down without a fight in loss to Lightning

And that was it. The Kings' top defenseman left the game, after a borderline dirty hit, and there was no response. Nobody went after Artyukin again, and even worse, the Kings' game remained flat overall and they lost meekly.

• Yahoo: Team report

They said it

 “(Drew Doughty) has been probably our best defenseman all year. When one of your key players gets hurt like that, you have to answer the bell. … It’s not about X’s and O’s. It’s about our willingness to do what it takes.”—Kings captain Dustin Brown on the team’s lack of response to Tampa Bay’s Evgeny Artyukhin’s hit on Drew Doughty, which knocked Doughty out of the game.

Looking through purple-hued goggles

• The Royal Half: Fast Forward to the future

• A Queen Among Kings: Egads! Lightning 3, Kings 1

• Purple Crushed Velvet: Dear Kings, Did you really just lose to Tampa Bay?

• Frozen Royalty: Kings Reeling After Another Poor Effort Against Tampa Bay

• Inside Hockey: A picture of Disarray

From the other side of the ice: the Tampa Bay view

• St. Petersberg Times: Tampa Bay Lightning defeats Los Angeles Kings

• BlotsBlog: Game 42: Tampa Bay at Los Angeles

Power numbers

• ESPN: Down two to 23

• The Hockey News: Also at 23

• TSN.ca: Drop four spots to 19

• Yahoo: Falling fast to 26

Peeping the dailies