Not only were the inconsistent Los Angeles Kings limping into the Holiday Break with just three wins in their last nine games, but they pretty much embarrassed themselves with the unveiling of their Stadium Series uniform. The outdoor game threads will feature white pants that will wash out on TV with the ice and an overall look that indicates that the NHL and Reebok marketing geeks are running out of ideas when it comes to alternative uniforms. Of immediate concern for the Kings however is their thin blue line.
Doughty putting in Plenty of OT
With the Kings second pair of defensemen, Robyn Regehr (upper body injury) and Slava Voynov (suspension) are both out indefinitely. What was once a deep blue line is now a thin one. Top defender Drew Doughy is averaging just under 30 minutes per game for time on ice and that is not likely sustainable over the 82 game grind of the regular season, especially when matched up against the NHL’s top lines every shift of every game. Doughty also quarterbacks the Kings power play.
The Kings lack of defensive depth was most evident in a 4-3 overtime home loss to Calgary last Monday in which they blew a 3-1 lead with under three minutes to play in regulation. The pressure will be on goaltenders Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones to cover for defensive lapses that will likely increase over time. “That 70s Line” is no longer a full-time unit as head coach Darryl Sutter had to break it up due to an offense that slipped to 18th in the NHL for goals scored. The return of Marian Gaborik should help as he had 11 goals in just 23 games as the Kings top goal scorer.
Dangerous Sharks Devour Opponents
San Jose won eight out of 10 games before the break to climb into second place in the Pacific Division race. Center Joe Thornton, who was castigated for last year’s playoff disaster against the Kings, is again putting together a stellar regular season with a team high 30 points on eight goals and 22 assists. C Joe Pavelski continues to emerge as one of the best with 16 goals and 13 assists. The big improvement has been on defense with Brent Burns busting out with 10 goals and 17 assists. The Sharks ranked ninth in the NHL for goals against and boasted the top ranked power play in the league. But the ultimate proof for the Sharks will come at playoff time as strong regular seasons followed by playoff failure is their current team marquee.
