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Inconsistent Kings falling short
Source: Agencies |
December 21, 2011, Wednesday
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THE Los Angeles Kings were considered Stanley Cup contenders ahead of the 2011-12 National Hockey League season but a slow start, injuries and inconsistency has left the team playing catch-up in the standings.
For the first time in their 44-year existence, the Kings entered a campaign without any glaring weaknesses given some major offseason acquisitions that sent a message the franchise was serious about claiming a first NHL title.
However, the impressive roster has yet to deliver and the team is having trouble scoring, leaving the Kings (15-14-4) sitting below the cutoff line for the playoffs with the season approaching its midway point.
"We really haven't scored a lot of goals and that's where you can point the finger for not succeeding lately," Anze Kopitar, who leads the Kings with 30 points, told reporters before Monday's 3-2 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Kings twice squandered one-goal leads but managed to secure the win when captain Dustin Brown fired a wrist shot by Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer to end the shootout. Brown had also scored late in the second period to put the Kings up 2-1.
"We have to put together a good streak, that's just how it is. We've put together a bad one and now we have to put together a good one. There's no secret to it," Kopitar said.
Los Angeles entered the Toronto game with 10 goals in its last seven contests, a stretch that included just one win and during which head coach Terry Murray was fired. That is clearly not what Kings had in mind when they acquired former Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards in a trade, signed two-time All-Star Simon Gagne and locked up promising defenseman Drew Doughty before the season began.
Kopitar, who led the Kings in points for a fourth straight season in 2010-11, has struggled to find the net recently, scoring his last goal on November 22.
For the first time in their 44-year existence, the Kings entered a campaign without any glaring weaknesses given some major offseason acquisitions that sent a message the franchise was serious about claiming a first NHL title.
However, the impressive roster has yet to deliver and the team is having trouble scoring, leaving the Kings (15-14-4) sitting below the cutoff line for the playoffs with the season approaching its midway point.
"We really haven't scored a lot of goals and that's where you can point the finger for not succeeding lately," Anze Kopitar, who leads the Kings with 30 points, told reporters before Monday's 3-2 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Kings twice squandered one-goal leads but managed to secure the win when captain Dustin Brown fired a wrist shot by Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer to end the shootout. Brown had also scored late in the second period to put the Kings up 2-1.
"We have to put together a good streak, that's just how it is. We've put together a bad one and now we have to put together a good one. There's no secret to it," Kopitar said.
Los Angeles entered the Toronto game with 10 goals in its last seven contests, a stretch that included just one win and during which head coach Terry Murray was fired. That is clearly not what Kings had in mind when they acquired former Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards in a trade, signed two-time All-Star Simon Gagne and locked up promising defenseman Drew Doughty before the season began.
Kopitar, who led the Kings in points for a fourth straight season in 2010-11, has struggled to find the net recently, scoring his last goal on November 22.
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