Los Angeles Kings Should Take The Great One’s Advice About Shooting The Puck

Los Angeles Kings rookie forward Andrei Loktionov will move back to center on November 28, 2011, when the Kings host
the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center.
Photo: David Sheehan

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — Some years ago, in the not too distant history of the Los Angeles Kings, there was a player who once graced the hockey world with his wisdom, not to mention his nearly infinite talent.

“You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take,” he said.

That player was none other than The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, who holds or shares 61 National Hockey League records, and is fourth on the Kings’ all-time scoring list.

Coming from Gretzky, who was not only the best player to ever play the game, but, arguably the smartest, those words carry several tons of weight.

Each of the Kings players should probably be forced to write those words on a chalkboard 100 times each after falling back into their bad habit of trying to pass the puck into the net, time and time again. Read more of this post

Los Angeles Kings Are Unlikely Suitors For Brad Richards During Free Agent Frenzy

LOS ANGELES — The annual unrestricted free agent frenzy begins on July 1 at 9:00 AM Pacific time, and while everyone knows the Los Angeles Kings have a couple of big holes to fill among their top six forwards, do not expect them to be in the running for the biggest fish of all, Dallas Stars center Brad Richards, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Read more of this post

Ryan Smyth Gets His Wish: Los Angeles Kings And Edmonton Oilers Finally Agree On A Deal

SMYTH FINALLY RETURNS HOME: Veteran left wing Ryan Smyth is finally back home after the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers were finally able to agree on a trade. Story includes details on the trade, along with commentary on the reaction to the deai. Did Smyth handle things the right way, or does he deserve to be criticized, or worse?


Veteran left wing Ryan Smyth (right), shown here parked in his usual spot in front
of the net, was finally traded to the Edmonton Oilers on June 26.
Photo: David Sheehan

LOS ANGELES — After more than 24 hours of going back and forth between having a deal in place, and then not having one, again and again, veteran left wing Ryan Smyth, is, officially and finally, back with the Edmonton Oilers.

On June 26, the Kings sent the 35-year-old native of Banff, Alberta back to where he began his National Hockey League career in 1995-96, playing eleven seasons in an Oilers jersey. Read more of this post

Los Angeles Kings: Do Their Problems Run Deeper Than First Thought?

LOS ANGELES — Losers of six of their last seven games heading into their January 13 contest at Staples Center in Los Angeles against the St. Louis Blues, the Los Angeles Kings have blown a huge opportunity.

Indeed, the Kings could have built a nice cushion for themselves in the hyper competitive Western Conference standings before playing ten straight games on the road in February while Staples Center hosts the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards and the events surrounding the 60th NBA All-Star Game, among other events. Read more of this post

Gann Matsuda On The Hockey Writers: LA Kings: When Will They Become More Than Just A Tease?

LOS ANGELES — After riding the roller coaster that is the 2010-11 Los Angeles Kings, one can only wonder when they will become more than just a tease.

A tease is exactly what the Kings are right now, given their penchant for showing that they can dominate the National Hockey League’s best teams with stellar play in all three zones and in all facets of the game, only to turn right around and look completely lost for lengthy stretches of games. Read more of this post

Inconsistency Keeping LA Kings From Reaching Next Level

LOS ANGELES KINGS SEEK CONSISTENCY: The following is a look at one of the most significant reasons the Los Angeles Kings are struggling to reach the next level and beyond. Also includes post-game audio interviews following their game against the Chicago Blackhawks on January 3.


LOS ANGELES — Last season, the Los Angeles Kings tantalized their long-suffering fans with a 101-point regular season and their first playoff appearance since 2002. To top it off, they got off to a blazing hot start in 2010-11, earning a 12-3-0 record in their first 15 games.

But then the wheels fell off the cart in November, with the Kings losing seven out of eight games from November 15 to November 29.

The Kings followed that up with a 9-3-0 record in their next twelve games, only to lose their last four games, the latest being a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks at Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 3. Read more of this post

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