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.
Here comes the calls for Cloutier's head
Being a goaltender has got to be the worst job in the entire world of sports. No other position has so much riding on the success of the person behind the mask. Cloutier hasn't convinced many fans that he's deserving of the number one job. The fact is the Kings played poorly last night, with no real standout players. You can't fault the goalie for the loss. But some people will try.
Cloutier let in a soft goal with 19 seconds gone in the first, and the boo birds were out in force. Some started to chant for Garon, the club's leading goaltender last season. But Crawford stood firm, and Cloutier played throughout the whole game. According to Crawford's post-game comments, Garon will be in goal for the Kings. If Garon wins, all hell is going to break loose in the Kingdom.
Three games is not a good barometer of how good a player is. But I think if Garon plays well, it will force Crawford to rethink the situation sooner rather than later. Bottom line, Crawford will do what is best for the club, and he doesn't strike me as someone who would put a prior relationship with a player before the good of the club.
After playing a small part early in the season, Patrick O'Sullivan picked it up Thursday night, logging in his most ice time this season. He also had some great shots early in the game. He led the club with 5. He's settling down and learning his role. He'll be lighting the lamp soon enough.
