After playing what I thought was the best game of the year for the kings, they went into Phoenix Arizona two nights later and played their worst game of the year. 48 hours separated a team who seemed to have realized their strength and potential as a group, to looking like a team who couldn’t put two tape to tape passes together.

I had this feeling after the game in San Jose, where I felt like I hadn’t felt in years, quietly confident in the Kings capabilities. I found myself humbled by the astounding play making decisions the Kings were making. Usually throughout the course of a Kings game, I am taken on a roller coaster of highs and lows. I get loud and excited when they make a great play or score a goal. When the opposite happens, I can be found speechless and saddened and trying to figure out what just happened and why on earth is this happening to me. The answer is more often than not… they are the kings.

Just when things seem to be going well for the purple and gold, it all comes crashing down in some form and we look to the hockey god’s for the answers. This is exactly how I felt following the blow out loss to the Coyotes last night. I can’t speak for all Kings fans but I can say for myself that I’m not surprised they played the way they did following what was an amazing spectacle two nights prior. It was the polar opposite in quality of hockey only 48 hours apart. It’s hard to believe that it’s even humanly possible, but being a Kings fan, its understood these things just happen.

Assignments were missed, passes weren’t completed, and players were out of position (mostly defensively) and I don’t understand how and why. Simple tasks and plays need to be made in order to have a successful game. It all adds up at the end of the night. Clearly not against the sub par Coyotes. How can they play like so beautifully against one of the most skilled and toughest teams in the league, and then take a dump the next game against a team who doesn’t know if there going to be able to have a team next year or not. Ahhh….

The frustration takes hold. But, there were some positive aspects. The play of goalie Jonathan Bernier. He replaced Quick half way through the game and made some very big saves and gave his team an opportunity to score some goals and get back in the game. Bernier is scheduled to start against the flyers tonight. In a game which was clearly weak in defense, it could have been done by the team I saw play against the Sharks, but they had already given up. Another bright spot was the play of forward Wayne Simmonds. His speed was a factor all night, and it showed that he was the only player who was making a difference almost every time he got on the ice, whether it was offensively or defensively. Coyotes forward Shane Doan popped in 2 goals and an assist to add to his big numbers he has put up against the kings in his career. Again, I was not surprised by Doan's performance.

I didn’t ask for much from Santa this year, one small request was for the Kings to bring Los Angeles some success in another sport other than basketball. Something tells me that I might not get it this year, but sometime very soon. I look forward to the day that I feel the way I did the night of the Sharks game. We shall not wait much longer.