Game 45: Blues 4, Kings 3

The entire Los Angeles Kings season seems to be following the chorus of Paula Abdul's 1990 hit  Opposite Attract:They take two steps forward, then two steps back.

After solid wins against Washington and San Jose, the Kings followed up their deflating loss to the Red Wings on Thursday with a lackluster effort against the St. Louis Blues. The same Blues that was on a sever-game losing streak.

A flukey goal in the first 14 seconds of the game (!) set the tone for the rest of the game. A shot from way outside found a stick and ricocheted past Jonathon Quick for the first tally of the Blues.

Quick probably should of had the save, but the Kings also should've been on the boards to clear the puck better. That's been a recent problem for the Kings, a lack of focus starting or finishing periods leads to bad things.

A highlight for sure was Brandon Segal's celebration of his first NHL goal. After being drafted by the Nashville Predatorsback in 2002, the 27-year-old has only had 14 games up on the big league level. When it trickled in and the light lit, Segal looked like he didn't know how to celebrate. So he just pumped his arms in joy.

Back when I was playing, I actually practiced my celebration move. And if you don't think players do, you're kidding yourself. Hell, even Tiger Woods fist pump and yell is as chorographed as Alexander Ovechkin's flaming stick schtick.

Segal looked to be as excited as Jim Valvano was when his
North Carolina State Wolfpack won the 1983 NCAA National Championship, and was looking around for someone to hug. It's nice to see a guy get his first NHL goal, especially someone who has taken the path to the Kings like Segal has.

But that highlight didn't stand, as the Blues scored three straight goals, causing coach Terry Murray to give Jonathon Quick the hook. Should he have started Erik Ersberg, knowing that the Kings had important games coming up against the Sharks, Ducks and Bruins? I say no. Quick has been able to withstand a heck of a lot more than he faced Saturday night. Plus, he is the number one goalie for a reason: he's the best chance the Kings have to win. Plus, and this point has been reiterated so many times I almost hate to bring it up again, but players like the play.

The Kings made it interesting when Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar scored to bring the score within one goal in the last eight minutes of the game. But the Blues managed to keep the Kings off the scoreboard, giving their interim head coach Davis Payne his first win.

This was a game that I'm sure would've been different, had that first flukey goal not had happened. But the Kings learned a valuable lesson: they need to keep their minds on the task in front of them, and not too far off in the future. We're still a long way off from playoff time. The Kings will have some serious tests in the next two weeks, so it's gut-check time.

• AP: Blues end 7-game skid, beat Kings 4-3

“We are obviously disappointed about these last two losses,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “We came out flat after losing that heartbreaker the last game. We’ve got to come out even stronger, but we failed to do that and that’s why we lost the game.”

• LATimes.com: Once again, too little too late for the Kings

The Blues, winless in their previous seven games, gave new Coach Davis Payne the first victory of his four-game tenure. They scored on their first two shots of the third period to chase goaltender Jonathan Quick and leave the Kings 0-2 in a seven-game homestand they had hoped would solidify their place in the top eight in the tight Western Conference standings.

• LAKings.com: Blue Saturday

The objective of an NHL team, whether it’s late November, early January or (especially) mid-April, is always to stay among the top eight teams in the conference. Consider the Kings’ margin for error officially at zero.

They said it

“We should have carried over the play, but we didn’t. We dominated the Detroit Red Wings for pretty much, I’d say, 50 minutes of the hockey game. That should be exciting for us, and we should carry that over, not the frustration that we didn’t score or whatever." Anze Kopitar, on any hangover from the Detroit game.

“Could be. I don’t know. That’s a tough thing to evaluate sometimes. We certainly addressed it yesterday. We addressed it today in the pregame talk, the importance of moving on and forgetting about the game. Take a lesson away from the Detroit game. But I don’t know. You almost need to take that to the players themselves and ask that question.” – Terry Murray, on whether there was a “hangover” from the Detroit game.

“I did not even know at first how it went in. It was a big goal for us at the time. It obviously would have been nice to have the win tonight. … I got the puck. It felt pretty amazing. I have been waiting my whole life to finally do that. It was a good pass set by Stolly [Jarret Stoll] and I shot the puck and good things happen." – Brandon Segal, on his goal.

Around the Kingdom

• The Royal Half:  Insert "Blues" Pun Headline Here

Usually, I have the time to watch each and every Kings game and obsessively dissect them. But not with this game... and from the recaps I've been reading... it doesn't seem like it's worth the time to go back and watch it on the ole Tivo.

• LAKingsNews.com: Da Kinges losth tha game

Retrovision being immaculate, it is hard to find a reason why Erik Ersberg should not have started this game. From here, the Kings go on to play powerhouses such as the Devil, Boston, San Jose twice and the cursed Wings once again. What better game to throw the oft-less used backup?

• HockeyBuzz's Matthew Barry: Blues End 7 Game Losing Streak Against Lifeless Kings 4-3

One of these days Charlie Brown will either kick the football or kick Lucy. One of these days the Kings will stop disappointing their fans.

• MayorsManor: Interview with Andy Murray

It may have been de ja vu all over again last Saturday morning. Murray led the Blues to a remarkable second half run last season, putting the team in the playoffs for the first time in five years. His team was riddled with injuries this season, played poorly at home and he was promptly welcomed into 2010 by getting his walking papers from the Blues.

• Inside Hockey: LA Kings Mid-season Report Card

To steer clear of the nitpicking, and with an overall grade of a B, expect the Kings to continue their playoff hunt this year and most likely be in the top eight in the Western Conference.

• Bleacher Report: Detroit Red Wings Should Take Note From Los Angeles Kings

Getting pushed to the limit by an up-and-coming team is nothing new, but it’d be nice if for once the Wings learned from the experience. The Kings are making it work with a roster that, on paper, should have them out of the playoffs by now. Their pressure-oriented style of play and “shoot from anywhere” mentality has them in the thick of things.

Across the aisle, the St. Louis viewpoint

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Payne finally gets 1st win

If Davis Payne wants to keep the score sheet from his first Blues’ victory as a souvenir, he might want to purchase some White Out.

• St. Louis Game Time: Some From Last Year, Some From This Year: Blues Look Great, Then Shaky In Win In LA.

With the game virtually sewn up at 4-1 and the ice tilted towards the net that Jonathan Quick had bequeathed to Erik Ersberg, the Blues allowed a goal by Dustin Brown that probably should have been stopped and a nice power play goal from the recently-cold Anze Kopitar (whose name I like to pronounce "Usual Suspects"-style as Kaiser Soze).

Peeping the dailies