One to Go
April 9th, 2009 by puremetal33One game is all that remains for the Los Angeles Kings in the 2008-09 season. What looked as if it had so much hope and promise turned very sour from the second week of February on. What did the Kings in was lack of 5 on 5 scoring, something that the team promises to address in the offseason. Tonight was another example of that problem.
Given there were a lot of weird bounces, and none of them went the Kings’ way. But they were unable to beat Roberto Luongo (for my money the best goalie in the world), though he didn’t have much work.
So, I will reflect on the season more after the final game on Saturday. If the Sharks play as awful as they did tonight, hopefully the Kings can at least end the season on a good note. If they don’t collect points in the season finale, they risk finishing last in the Pacific again - behind Phoenix. I called Phoenix at the beginning of the year one of the two most overrated teams in the West, and they’ve proven me right this year. Phoenix is a bad hockey team. Gretzky for all his greatness as a player, doesn’t seem to possess it as a coach. In my eyes at least, it would be a huge disappointment to finish behind the Coyotes.
Me personally, I think all this talk about better draft position is balderdash. We’ve drafted enough guys to keep the team well stocked. Nobody that we’re going to draft at #5 or whatever is going to have an impact for years. I see this years first round pick as a bargaining chip and nothing more. It’s worse for the development of a young team to mail it in the last couple games of the season than it is to play hard, win and lose a couple of positions in the draft for a pick you’re likely to trade for someone who can contribute now and in the long run.
Kings and Sharks face off, with the Presidents Trophy likely on the line for San Jose. See you at Staples one more time.
-JS
Posted in Kings
