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Los Angeles Kings: Winning Ways Coming to a Close

By Jamaal Artis

Mar 20, 2017; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) battles for the puck with Edmonton Oilers center left winger Patrick Maroon (19). Kings defenceman Drew Doughty (8) and Kings defenceman Derek Forbort (24) help to block during the third period at Rogers Place. Oilers won the game 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2017; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) battles for the puck with Edmonton Oilers center left winger Patrick Maroon (19). Kings defenceman Drew Doughty (8) and Kings defenceman Derek Forbort (24) help to block during the third period at Rogers Place. Oilers won the game 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Los Angeles Kings have been one of the most successful NHL teams in recent memory.

Reality is beginning to settle in, the Los Angeles Kings will most likely not be making the playoffs for the second time in three years.  Lack of depth and a dearth of scoring woes have sunken a season that began with terrible injures to Marian Gaborik and Jonathan Quick.

Full disclosure as a Kings season ticket holder it’s easy to be angry at the state of things, but as a long time fan it’s just as easy to remember how far the franchise has come.

Many of the Kings struggles can easily be laid at the feet of the brain trust of the organization. Read any Kings news on and you’ll come across voices calling on a change away from general manager Dean Lombardi and coach Darryl Sutter.

It may happen that both are relieved of their duties, so for fans of the team it’s time for reflection. If this is the end then what a wonderful partnership that those two have formed.

In LA sports history when discussing the four major sports their partnership should be lumped with other great brain trusts.  The Lakers have two GM/coach combos that won more than one championship Jerry West and Pat Riley in the 80’s and Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson in the 00’s.

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You have to go back to the 50’s and 60’s for the Los Angeles Dodgers, when Buzzie Bavasi and Walter Alston combined to win the Dodgers first three titles in Los Angeles. Those are Hall of Fame names that Lombardi and Sutter can be associated with.

Lombardi should be praised for building a culture of winning, that Sutter took to the ultimate heights of the NHL.

The two Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014 didn’t erase the other great moments in Kings history.  What those wins did was ease the pains of all those years when the Kings were stuck in mediocrity with no winning in sight.

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The Cups put the Los Angeles Kings in the category of elite for the first time.  We Kings fans have Lombardi and Sutter to thank for that, if they are let go then it should not be forgotten.

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