Game 66/Los Angeles: My Thoughts

Apologies for the late post, but AT&T decided to mess with my DSL and left me unable to use the Inter-Tubes for most of the day.  Very unnerving.  How's Time Warner digital cable?

As for the game, I'll use the same word I used on Twitter after the game last night.  Brutal.

The Los Angeles Kings destroyed the Columbus Blue Jackets, 6-0, on 4 goals against Steve Mason in the 1st and 2 on Mathieu Garon in the 2nd.  There were no goals in the scrimmage-like 3rd, and I swear that the Kings were taking penalties just to work on their penalty kill.

Because of the fact that most all of the LA goals were on power plays, the team's +/- ratings weren't as hellacious as they should have been.  Someone counted last night, and Fedor Tyutin was on the ice for 5 of the LA goals.  That is bad.  Real bad.

Kristian Huselius didn't play, but Derick Brassard did.  Rick Nash got hurt, but GM Scott Howson says he aggravated an injury that he picked up during the Olympics.  The Captain is out for at least tonight's game.

(Interim) Coach Claude Noel used last night's postgame presser to share some happy talk about how he believes in the team but then, in the same jovial manner, added that the team is overly reliant on goaltending to win games because they can't score goals - and then to have Mase drop a stink-bomb on the game at the same time that Huselius and Nash are out...I believe the quote was, "It is what it is."

I'm a big Notre Dame football fan.  The last Irish head coach who said, "It is what it is," Bob Davie, got run out of town.  Watch your words, Claude.  Passive resignation to the circumstances at hand does not endear you to either the team's management or fans.  I can't imagine that the team liked hearing that either.

Tonight, 10PM, Anaheim.  No Nash, no Huselius.  Garon in goal while Mase gets counselling.  Crunch captain Derrick MacKenzie and the enigmatic Maxim Mayorov have been called up from Syracuse.  Should be a fascinating game.