[Editor's Note: yes, I know the NHL regular season is a week old now, but I know you all are still dying to know what lies ahead for the Los Angeles Kings this season, right? RIGHT?]
It seems like only yesterday (probably cause I was still blacked-out until yesterday) that my friends and my Better Half teamed up to secretly add multiple ounces of sake to my beer before boisterously declaring it was time for another round of sake bombs on what was (from what I remember) a truly epic thirtieth birthday celebration. Sadly though, the big three-one is already right around corner (December 17th . . . *hint* *hint* *wink* *wink*) and, as Father Time prepares to put another tick mark next my name, I find myself having more and more adult-like thoughts . . . and it scares me.
Though I refuse to admit it around my Better Half (so don't go telling on me), I do actually find myself thinking more and more about what it will be like to have kids. And what emotion do these thoughts evoke the most? Fear, pure fear. It is not a general fear about having kids. Nah, I am pretty down with that thought. Rather, it is fear that arises from being a self-aware individual that knows his shortcomings and knows that many of these shortcomings fly directly in the face of what I know I can expect once I become a father. Having had the privilege of watching my siblings and siblings-in-law raise multiple future hockey players and/or GameTime, TBD© writers, I have gained a general understanding of what goes into to raising a monster child. Sadly, it means I have also gained an understanding of where the challenges are going to lie. Most notably, while I am known for my patience, one thing I absolutely hate having to do is repeat myself. Can not stand it; I get uber-frustrated uber-quickly when I have to repeat myself. So, that should make years two through eighteen pretty fun when the time comes, right?
So, as a man who hates to repeat himself, imagine my frustration when I sat down to prepare my 2011-2012 Los Angeles Kings Season Preview and I realized I could pretty much regurgitate everything I wrote when previewing the 2010-2011 season. I mean, do not get me wrong, it was a great preview. Plus, as it turns out, I was pretty much spot on with everything I wrote. To summarize, I stated that for the Kings' 2010-2011 season to be successful, they must (1) maintain their regular-season closing ability, (b) learn to close in the playoffs, and (iii) improve their five-on-five scoring. I also predicted Jonathan Bernier would be the Kings' breakout player of the year. So, how did the season play out? Well:
- Regular-season closing: like the year prior, the 2010-2011 Kings managed at least one point in every game they led after two periods, going 26-0-1 (.963 win percentage), which was third best in the league. They also were able to go 16-9-3 in games that were tied after two periods (.571 win percentage). The 2010-2011 Kings proved they could still close in the regular season.
- Playoff closing: after earning their second-straight trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Kings showed they had learned nothing from the year before. As evidence, look no further than their game three collapse against San Jose in which they blew leads of 4-0 and 5-3 in the second period alone. Once they lost that one, it was pretty clear that a first-round exit was inevitable and out in six they were.
- Five-on-five scoring: well, the Kings offense was far from pretty last year. If it was not for their spectacular defense (6th overall, 4th-best penalty kill, fewest power-play goals allowed), the Kings would not have made the playoffs. Their offense was offensive, finishing 25th in the league overall and 21st on the power play. The Kings managed only 148 goals five-on-five last year (17th best in the league) and scored only 209 goals total.
- Breakout player: I chose our back-up goalie as our breakout player because I thought he would reduce the burden on Jonathan Quick by serving as a productive back-up goalie. Bernier started 22 games last season, posting an 11-8-3 record with a respectable 2.48 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. This allowed Quick to play in eleven fewer games and post career bests in goals-against average (2.24) and save percentage (.918).
So, at the risk of ticking myself off, the keys to the Kings 2011-2012 season are (1) maintaining their ability to close in the regular season, (b)
learning to close in the playoffs, and (iii) improving their five-on-five
scoring. [Editor's Note: is there an echo in here?] Thankfully, the Kings have Dean Lombardi, the best general manager in hockey, who spent the entire offseason making sure the Kings would not have a repeat season. To be fair, the Kings offense took a major hit when they lost Anze Kopitar to a broken ankle with seven games left in the season. But those seven games did not stop them from being a top-twenty offense. And DL did try to address the scoring issues before Kopitar went down by acquiring Dustin Penner from Edmonton for a pile of [expletive deleted] at the trade deadline (jury is still out on who got the better deal). But to be extra sure the offense improves this season, DL went on a shopping spree, trading uber-prospect Braden Schenn and fan-favorite Wayne Simmonds to Philadelphia for stud-center Mike Richards, signing veteran-winger Simon Gagne, re-signing franchise-defenseman Drew Doughty, and adding veteran depth/locker room leadership with the under-the-radar signings of Ehtan Moreau and Trent Hunter.
When all was said-and-done this offseason, the Kings had added $114.6 million in salary. Ironically, Philip Anschutz-owned AEG bought the Kings out of bankruptcy in 1995 for only $113.25 million. The addition of Richard and Gagne should, assuming Penner got himself into shape this offseason (jury is still out on that), give the Kings something they have lacked since the Gretzky era: two legitimate scoring lines and depth down the middle with Kopitar, Richards, and Jarret Stoll. To top it all off, the Kings still have the cap space to add yet another top-six winger before the trade deadline if necessary (Zach Parise should would look nice in a Kings uniform). By re-signing Doughty, the Kings are returning the same defensive group that allowed only 2.39 goals per game last year. Add to that the fact the Kings have two number one goaltenders again this year, and you have yourself the makings of a pretty exciting season . . . at least on paper. I guess it should come as no surprise that some experts have the Kings making their second Stanley Cup Finals appearance in franchise history.
Which brings me to this year's breakout player, the guy who is going to play the biggest role in helping the Kings get over the hump. It is probably cheating to pick Mike Richards, what, since he already has two thirty-goal seasons, has scored 349 points in six season, and was the captain of the Flyers the last two seasons. So I am going to go out on a limb and say this years breakout player is Simon Gagne. Sure, Gagne is a two-time forty-goal scorer, but he has spent the better part of the last two seasons battling through injury and trying to regain his scoring touch. If healthy, he will find that scoring touch. It helps that he is being reunited with Richards, his former linemate during part of his ten seasons in Philadelphia. I expect Gagne to net at least twenty-five goals this season, and if he plays in seventy-plus games, thirty is not out of the question. Production like that gives the Kings two productive scoring lines to contend with come playoff time.
Come playoff time? You bet your [expletive deleted] the Kings are headed back to the playoffs. Expectations are again high for the Kings and, as was previously noted, so are mine. I am both excited and nervous for the eighty-two games [Editor's Note: 78 . . .] that lie ahead because, for the first time in a long time (ever?), it is not just my bias that believes the Kings have legitimate shot at a run for the Cup. Anything thing less than a deep playoff run will be a disappoint to most of the fans, myself included, and could actually spell the end of reign of Murray II. I think they have what it takes this year, which means, come May/June, I fully expect to see Commissioner Bettman handing Lord Stanley's Cup to Dustin Brown.
And if that were to happen, maybe I will have my own future-hockey player/GameTime, TBD© writer come March 2013 . . . wait, what?
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