Matt Murray has been a Kings fan since the late '80s, when Wayne Gretzky grabbed headlines by defecting to the West Coast. Since then, he has been a card-carrying bandwagon member as the club soared in popularity with their sole Stanley Cup appearance to their position near the bottom of the Pacific. But things are looking brighter, as he is anxious to witness the rise of the new Kings.
Could O'Sullivan/Kopitar grow into expectations?
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The Frozen Fury preseason game may just be a slick marketing scheme to get fans to go to a game that means absolutely nothing, but this year's version may have been the best ever.
A come from behind victory is always thrilling, but this one is especially exciting. Three unanswered goals, topped by a goal from the Kings' top prospect, Patrick O'Sullivan, from a pass by the Kings' second top prospect, Anze Kopitar.
I share the opinion of many Kings fans who think that L.A. should allow these kids to mature together and play at the same level. All signs point to O'Sullivan making the club and Kopitar being sent down for a while before being called up later this season. But, I think these two should be playing and gelling together to form a formidable duo.
Could O'Sullivan/Kopitar be the next Jagr/Lemeiux, Selanne/Kariya, or dare I say, Gretzky/Kurri? I think eventually these two players will be lighting the lamp regularly for the Kings in the near future. I just hope they get the right amount of playing time together to see if it can happen. Too often, players get bumped to the big leagues before they are ready. Expectations of being "The Next Big Thing" are often heaped upon these young players, causing them to buckle under the pressure. If more than one guy can shoulder the load of being a team's "savior", it would make for a better chance of success.
One thing is for sure, the duo of Kopitar and O'Sullivan are something special to watch.
