Game 55: Thrashers 7, Kings 6 (shootout)

Monday night, I took my daughter, Phoebe Fay, to Staples for a Daddy/Daughter date to watch the Kings. We try to go to a game a season, since I go to the games all the time to blog and she gets jealous. Actually, she gets jealous that I get to eat all the popcorn I can swallow up in the press box. The first thing we had to get? Yup, a bucket o' popcorn.

I was also looking forward to seeing the Thrashers play, since they have one of my favorite young players, Ilya Kovalchuk. But he's not my favorite players for the reasons you think. As you may have gleaned from this blog in the past, I'm a gamer. I love playing video games, and especially hockey games. In the season my daughter was born, I bought NHL 2004, which had a 20-year dynasty mode. I decided to build a team from scratch, and decided to make Kovalchuk the centerpiece of my team. 20 years and 15 Stanley Cups later, the NHL and the owners bought me an island. But I digress...

Kovalchuk has been the subject many comments on both LetsGoKings and HockeysFuture, and I admit it's fun to sit and ponder how the Kings could acquire a legit scoring threat. But I agree with my podcast partner, the irrepressible Dr. Naysay, who simply claims all the Kings need is consistancy in their play.

The game itself was incredible. How the Kings battled back from a three-goal deficit, a game after battling back from being down two goals is proof that the Kings are among one of the most resilient teams in the league. But they have gotten into the bad habit of trailing early, only to come surging back. This team has the talent, and eventually they will reach a point of clarity and stumble across the self-realization that Drew Doughty was talking about last week:

"We're a very good team that just underachieved in the first half of the season. We're better than a lot of teams that are in the playoff race right now."

From the mouths of babes, eh? The Kings need to have that breakthrough soon before their postseason chances are squandered on playing for the tie and settling for one point rather than grabbing the bull by the horns and snatching the two points upfront. Coming from behind the way they have has taught the team they have the ability. But when they realize that ability is there from the beginning... that will be a cool thing to witness.

One last thing about my daddy/daughter date, we arrived at Staples early and was treated to an autograph line with a bunch of the NHL mascots. And as she approached the line, she was immediately swooped up by the Vancouver mascot, Fin, and basically passed down the line. It was a hilarious five minutes that I wish I could've documented better. But my battery on my camera ran low and I could only snap photos. She was wired all night... until the third period, when she fell asleep in my lap and stayed there, snoozing, while the Kings made that impossible comeback with five seconds left. All I could do was pump my fist and mouth my elation. I did wake her up for the shootout, which she then informed me she had to go "potty." So, we missed Erik Christensen's shootout goal. But I don't feel so bad about missing that.

• AP: Thrashers beat Kings 7-6 in shootout

Alexander Frolov had a goal and two assists for Los Angeles, defenseman Denis Gauthier ended a 123-game goal drought with his first since Dec. 31, 2005, and rookie Drew Doughty had two assists.

• LA Times: Kings come up short again

"It doesn't matter how you score the goals," Stoll said. "It's battling, it's getting to the net – if it goes off your butt and in, it doesn't matter how it goes in."

• Yahoo: Team report

Home sweet home? Not so much for the Kings, who are 1-4-2 in their last seven home games. By contrast, they are 6-1 in their last seven home games. The good news? The Kings play seven of their next eight games on the road.

• Yahoo's Puck Daddy: Anze does it all in defeat

This one could have gone down as the Stunner at Staples if a) it mattered and b) the Kings had prevailed in overtime. You can't blame Kopitar for the 7-6 shootout loss. He beat Thrashers goalie Johan Hedberg with a pretty backhand to kick off the skills showdown.

• LAKings.com: Notes from the press box

The Kings celebrated Armenian Heritage night and over 1,000 fans came to see Bogosian, the first of Armenian decent to play in the NHL...Bogosian did not disappoint, tallying three assists...Bogosian was drafted No. 3 overall in 2008, following the Kings selection of Drew Doughty...Doughty and the Kings are 0-1-1 against the top two picks in the NHL Draft from a year ago, falling to Steve Stamkos and Tampa Bay 3-1 on Jan. 12.

They said it

“This time of the year, you want to get two points, not just one. Maybe we’re fortunate enough to get one, but that’s not enough. To give up six goals at home, it’s hard and it definitely shouldn’t happen. The Thrashers came out strong and the last couple of games we stayed flat-footed, but they came out strong and ready to play and we simply weren’t ready.”—Kings center Anze Kopitar.

Looking through purple-hued goggles

• The Royal Half: I'm Too Old for This Ship

As you might of heard, it was Armenian Heritage Night at Staples, celebrating the first game in LA by Atlanta Thrashers rookie Zac Bogosian. (Strange coincidence that they changed the scoring to give Bogosian a few extra assists, huh? A NHL-Armenian conspiracy is brewing!) The Kings did a similar event when Alex Ovechkin and the rest of the Washington Capitals came to town, having a Russian Heritage Night celebration. Hands down... the Armenians are definitely the better fans when it comes to cheering at Kings games by former republics of the Soviet Union.

• Purple Crushed Velvet: Kings 6, Thrashers 7 (SO)

While the Kings really need to get two points in each game they can't afford to walk away with zero, so sending the game to OT is absolutely imperative. The Kings are still on the playoff bubble and watching them attempt to tie it with an empty net on the opposite end of the rink makes it seem like I'm watching a playoff game. The playoff hunt isn't over yet. Now, if only the Kings can find a way to win shootouts.

• Frozen Royalty: Slow Start Dooms Kings Against Thrashers

Editor's note part one: It seems Jonathan Moncrief is anxiously awaiting a trade that'll put this team on top, like many Kings fans
• Examiner.com:  Five best in-season deals in Kings history

So as the March 4th NHL Trade Deadline approaches and we wait to see if the Kings will be buyers or sellers, it got us thinking about the five greatest in-season trades in Kings history. And the common thread among them was not any instant success, but rather helping build towards future success for the team.

Editor's note part deux: RudyKelly from Battle of California makes the object of his desires a little more obvious
• BattleOfCalifornia: Look at the future

I want Ilya Kovalchuk so bad.  If i had to choose between boning Jessica Simpson (back when she was hot, not the stretch pant-wearing GIrl Scout troop leader she's turned into) or getting Ilya Kovalchuk on the Kings, I'd take Ilya and never look back.  It makes me ill, how badly I want Ilya. 

From the other side of the ice, the Atlanta view

• Journal Constitution: Thrashers beat Kings in shootout

    Rookie defenseman Zach Bogosian didn’t score a goal but might have been the man of the night, anyway. He had three assists, all of them cheered by thousands of fans at Armenian Heritage Night in Staples Center. Many waved Armenian flags. Southern California has a large Armenian community, and Bogosian is the first NHL player of Armenian descent.
    Three of his cousins and their girlfriends were among the sellout crowd of 18,118.
    “To have people cheer for you at an away rink is pretty cool,” Bogosian said.

• AJC's Ice Man: Shootout in L.A., literally

Hey guys, do us all a favor and make sure you bring some of that high-powered O-fense back to Blueland with ya next week, OK?

• Blueland Chronicle: The Morning After

Did the Thrashers still win that game? Are they still considered the official victors? I see Puck Daddy has declared Anze Kopitar the Star of the Western Hemisphere. NHL.com knows what's up with their "King Kovalchuk" headline and their crowning him 1st Star of the Late West Coast Night. Yes they do, yes they do.

• Chi-Town Thrash: Waiting to Exhale

Quick last note, back-to-back nights at Honda Center and Staples Center is a common thing in the NHL, and the Thrashers set a new record for most goals in the two nights. 15. Previous record was 12 by Detroit in 1995.

• Bird Watchers Anonymous: Thrashers Roller Coaster 2009 on Upswing Again

Power numbers

• Yahoo: Down to 24

Terry Murray was brought aboard when it took GM Dean Lombardi too long last summer to decide Marc Crawford was the wrong man to coach a young team. The brutal truth is Murray won’t be the right coach if and when the Kings are contenders. He’s just a Band-Aid.

Editor's note part three: Um, have you watched this team come back? Have you seen them rise their defensive game from last season? Are you nuts?

• The Hockey News: Holding steady at 17

• ESPN: Down one to 19

Peeping the dailies