Games 38-39: Kings vs Phoenix Coyotes 4:3, Kings @ Edmonton Oilers 6:4

Shootout win is icing on the cake after a wild third period

Fighting to crawl out of the cellar

(photo courtesy of www.yahoo.com)

LA goals from: Derek Armstrong, Rob Blake, Sean Avery
PHO goals from: Perrault, Sjostrom, Saprykin

Pros: Another good one from Alex Frolov (absent from the scoreboard lately, going scoreless for seven games in a row, including this one, if my memory serves me right) and Armstrong. The latter makes a case for himself in the Kings Stars*** which hits the net tomorrow (hopefully).

Cons: On most nights Kings seem to be so weak that a wild ride like this could only have a happy ending against a similarly hapless team like the Coyotes.

"Lord knows, we've been a tough team to love lately," coach Marc Crawford said after the game.

Well put.

I do not particulary enjoy writing about the Kings losing goals in bunches, so that's why this section ends here (two PHO goals less than 1:30 mins apart in the third. Grrrr...)


Come-back win a first for Garon against Edmonton

Garon and McCauley make long anticipated comebacks
(photo courtesy of ww.yahoo.com)

LA goals from: Dustin Brown, Brian Willsie, Rob Blake, Alex Frolov, Sean Avery, Lubomir Visnovsky, Alyn McCauley
EDM goals from: Pisani, Tjarnqvist, Smyth, Stoll

Pros: Every time you score seven times away from home, you have gotta be glad. Especially since so many players got involved in scoring. It was fun seein the Kings come back from a two-goal deficit (2-4) on the road. The game was the Kings debut of center McCauley, who was very competent (12-of-22) in the face-off circle.

Cons: Mathieu Garon's glove hand was very shaky (cost us at least two goals) in his first game back from the groin injury. While powerplay ruled (3-0f-7), the PK unit let the Kings down big time, losing three goals in eight chances (one 5-on-3, though). Kings are close to the bottom in penalty killing this year. This game proves why.