One of the Staples Center in-game participation for fans is the “Music Showdown” where fans have an opportunity to pick a song to be played among three favorites of Kings’ players. Normally, this is a nanosecond of the experience and the song choices have little relation to the team. Until Monday. Scott Thornton chose “Should I stay or should I go?” The winner was Ivanans who chose “Basket Case”. Somehow you have to wonder if this was a bad omen for one of the bigger stinkers the Kings have played this year. Seriously.
As to Thornton, I have a tough time believing anyone will be trading for him. I just do. Maybe he wants to be this year’s Brad May – last year’s only transaction by the Ducks at the deadline who now has a ring. Scott, the closest you are getting to the Cup is if Cousin Joe and his Sharks find their heart and the net far more often and find a way to get out of the second round.
Want examples of Monday’s debacle? Here goes:
• The Kings gave up 2 goals on the first six shots;
• But for the last period when the game was over, the first two periods the Kings had approximately 22 minutes of possession and a miserly 17 shots on goal (the shot total of the third alone);
• 23 give-aways;
• Cammalleri had 8 shots on goal, Brown and Stuart 4 which calculates to 3 players 16 shots and 15 players had 18 shots;
• Handzus had 30% face-off success followed by Cammalleri who had 43%;
• The second and third period had so many line configurations it would be pointless to attempt to decipher it.
• The first period there was two basic line configurations:
o Brown – Kopitar – O’Sullivan
o Frolov – Cammalleri – Armstrong
o Calder – Handzus – Purcell
o Ivanans – Giuliano – Tukonen
This was followed by:
o Cammalleri – Kopitar – Brown
o Frolov – O’Sullivan – Purcell
o Calder – Handzus – Armstrong
o Ivanans – Giuliano – Tukonen
The highlight of the night was a third period fight between Ivanans and Carcillo when Ivanans won by TKO and but for some really brutal officiating, Morris should have been thrown for third man in when he tried to muscle in on the fight but was thankfully removed by Dallman,
Admittedly of late, I have been taken to task for taking issue with how the Kings are treated in the press. First and foremost, every team in the NHL is capable of winning on any given night. Any team who thinks otherwise can get embarrassed early and often, second, since Christmas, the Kings for anyone paying attention aren’t playing like a last place team. Not even close.
In fairness, tonight every ugly label that comes to mind would be fair. Also, unfortunately, I have some experience being the fan of a last place team. When I lived in Texas, I lived in an IHL city (when that league existed) and in a 17 team league where 16 of 17 teams go to the play-offs, my team stayed home. That team was so hard to watch it was excruciating. In the last game of the year, the captain apologized to the fans for the entire season..... Ouch!!! And frankly, it was a fairly accurate assessment regardless.
It is for this reason I take the most issue. The Kings have played seriously respectable hockey of late. It would be nice if the press provided a more accurate assessment of Los Angeles rather than their league standing alone. A little homework might provide a more appropriate take rather than the easiest thing to write.
As to this team, at this point, the Kings’ players have a choice. They can give in to the flu bug. They can take games off because what is the point. They can play like members of their next team since in the next eight days the Kings may look far different than they do today.
A pass just doesn’t cut it. As players, these individuals can only control two things, what they do personally and how they respond to whatever changes come. Anything else is a cop-out. In addition, if they stop playing now and get traded anyway, it is not like there is a mental switch they can turn when they land in their next city. Time to man up and play. That is the only reasonable card they have to play.
Option “B” is to play Ivanans’ music choice and in fact be a “Basket Case”. That is one ugly way to go and an embarrassing personal statement from my point of view. I can assure this team that their opponents from now until the Kings’ tee time will play to win – will they?
Call-Up Quandary:
There is no way to know how much Boyle’s demotion had to do with Monday’s game other than geography. I can say this. If Lombardi’s plan is to give as many Monarchs’ players a look to see who is ready for prime time, then he has very few choices whom to call. Here are Tukonen’s season AHL statistics:
38 GP 6 G 13 A 19 Pts. -1 10 PIM .109 Shooting Percentage
Other than having one of the better +/- of the Monarchs, he is hardly a stand out. In fairness, Gauthier, Boyle and Moulson have had their looks. The next highest point total goes to defenseman, Milam, so he is out. David Meckler has 21 points in 52 games played. From purely a statistical basis, Tukonen had the most points per game played before Milam.
That suggests that after Moulson, Gauthier and Boyle since Purcell is with the Kings, the remainder of the Monarchs (including Tukonen) isn’t ready for the NHL. I will concede that putting Tukonen on the fourth line didn’t help his cause.
I’m Just Sayin:
I have read some fairly tough critiques among Kings’ fans on Giuliano overall and his penalty shot from Friday specifically. First, at some point, some need to appreciate that defensive players are just as key as the top six forwards. Second, how many fourth liners can you name who earned a penalty shot? Enough said.
Carla Muller Carla.hockeygal@att.net
CarlaMuller
Should They Stay or Should They Go? 
